en.Wedoany.com Reported - The launch ceremony for a new ore transport barge supported by the Brazilian National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) was held on May 27, with the bank's Infrastructure and Climate Change Director, Luciana Costa, attending alongside Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The barge was built at the Juruá Shipyard, located in the metropolitan region of Iranduba, Manaus, Amazonas state.
This barge is part of a financing project approved by BNDES, with a total amount of 3.2 billion reais (approximately US$638 million, based on the exchange rate as of June 2, 2026), sourced from the Merchant Marine Fund (FMM). The funds are intended to support LHG Logística Ltda in building 400 barges and 8 tugboats. These vessels will be used to transport iron ore and manganese ore on the Paraná and Paraguay Rivers.
The total amount of financing already disbursed is 1 billion reais (approximately US$199.2 million). Of this, 230 million reais (approximately US$46 million) was allocated to the Juruá Shipyard, which has delivered 27 of the planned 128 mining barges. Another 51 are under construction. Across the entire project, 72 barges have been delivered and are in operation.
Additionally, 98 barges and 6 tugboats are at various stages of production and transport. These vessels will be built and delivered over the next four years at four domestic shipyards in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, aiming to boost the Brazilian shipbuilding industry and create jobs and economic growth in these areas.
BNDES President Aloizio Mercadante stated that through this operation, under the leadership of President Lula's government, the bank promotes the participation of domestic companies, uses Brazilian-flagged vessels, supports the maritime auxiliary industry, creates jobs, and strengthens the river transport system for shipping iron ore produced in Mato Grosso do Sul state, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 95% compared to road transport.
The ore is extracted in Corumbá (Mato Grosso do Sul), loaded onto barges, and navigates 2,500 kilometers along the Paraguay River to the maritime terminal in Nueva Palmira, Uruguay, where it is loaded onto ocean-going vessels. The project highlights the importance of the Paraguay-Paraná waterway for regional integration among Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay. The domestic section of this waterway has been included in the General Subsidy Plan (PGO) announced by the federal government in October 2023 and may be converted into a concession in the coming years.
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