en.Wedoany.com Reported - Brazil's first offshore iron ore transshipment operation began on August 7 approximately 22 kilometers off the coast of Piauí state. The bulk carrier Konta II transferred 9,000 tonnes of iron ore extracted from Piripiri to the floating storage vessel Venture, with the cargo ultimately destined for China aboard the Capesize bulk carrier Marine Victory, operated by Cosco Shipping, totaling approximately 110,000 tonnes. Konta II departed on August 5 from Porto Piauí in Luís Correia.

The transshipment operation is planned to be completed through approximately 10 short voyages by Konta II, transporting about 9,000 tonnes of mineral from the terminal each time, ultimately reaching 110,000 tonnes. The trader for this batch of iron ore is Xiamen Xiangyu, a Chinese company engaged in international mineral raw materials trading.

The transshipment system adopted at Porto Piauí involves the coordinated operation of three vessels. Konta II, measuring 109 meters in length and 26.8 meters in width, is responsible for transporting the mineral from the terminal to the Venture, anchored approximately 22 kilometers off the coast; the Venture, measuring 190 meters in length, 32 meters in width, with a capacity of 48,000 tonnes, operates as an intermediate storage platform; the cargo is then transferred to the Marine Victory, measuring 250 meters in length, 43 meters in width, with a capacity of 114,000 tonnes.

Porto Piauí stated that this technology is unprecedented in Brazil and will operate as a permanent commercial-scale operation. This model has already been used in countries such as Ecuador, Singapore, and Guinea-Bissau, and can advance export start-up timelines by up to three years without waiting for the completion of deeper draft facilities at the terminal.

The mineral transported in this shipment was produced by Lion Mining. This Piauí-based company, founded in 2022, operates three mines in Piripiri with an annual production capacity of 1.5 million tonnes, with ore iron content of 65%. Lion Mining has signed a long-term contract with Companhia Porto Piauí, with total ore volumes transported through the terminal reaching up to 10 million tonnes.

Data from the Piauí State Planning Secretariat (Seplan) shows that between 2023 and 2024, the state's iron ore production grew by more than 4,000%, making it Brazil's sixth-largest iron ore exporter. Seplan estimates that Piauí's iron ore reserves exceed 1 billion tonnes.

Before Porto Piauí became operational, mineral from Piripiri was transported by road using 50-tonne trucks to the Port of Pecém in Ceará state.