en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Santos Port Authority (APS) has signed a contract with the Brazilian subsidiary of Belgian dredging company Jan De Nul Group to deepen the main channel of the Port of Santos from the current 15 meters to 16 meters. The contract is valued at 617.9 million Brazilian reais (approximately $105 million). After the deepening, the port will be able to accommodate larger vessels, with operations expected to begin by the end of 2026 or early 2027.

Located on the coast of São Paulo state, the Port of Santos is the largest port in Latin America. In 2025, the port handled 186.4 million tons of cargo, a year-on-year increase of 3.6%, setting a new historical record. Of this, exports totaled 137.4 million tons, up 4.6% year-on-year, while imports reached 49 million tons. As Brazil's most important gateway for foreign trade, the port handles approximately 28% of the country's foreign trade flow.

This deepening project marks the first such initiative at the Port of Santos in 14 years, following the previous deepening in 2012, which increased the channel from 13.8 meters to 15 meters. The project primarily involves two phases: rock removal and dredging. Rock removal will take place from July to October 2026, focusing on clearing three underwater rock formations: Pedra do Barroso and Pedra do Itapema near Barnabé Island, and Pedra do Teffé near the Concais passenger terminal. Once rock removal is completed, dredging operations will commence immediately.

Jan De Nul Group is one of the world's largest dredging engineering contractors, with approximately 6,000 employees and an annual turnover of about €2 billion. The contract also includes two years of maintenance dredging services for the channel. The Santos Port Authority stated that deepening the channel to 16 meters is expected to increase the port's throughput capacity by approximately 20%. The project will meet shipping market demands and effectively enhance the port's overall operational efficiency.

The channel deepening project is a key measure for the Port of Santos to enhance its international competitiveness. With the draft depth increased to 16 meters, the port will be able to accommodate vessels with larger deadweight tonnage, further solidifying its position as a core trade hub in Brazil and South America.

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