July 31, 2020 will be marked in the history of the modern naval, port and industrial complex of Enseada, located in Maragojipe, in Recôncavo baiano. Yesterday morning, the ship Star Athena, norwegian flag, docked at Enseada’s Private Use Terminal (TUP) to receive the shipment of 44,000 tons of iron ore from Bahia.

The cargo is owned by Brazil Iron and was extracted from the mine located in the city of Piatã. The loading operation is scheduled to take place up to the 5th day of the month, and marks the beginning of the port operations at Enseada’s TUP.

According to Brazil Iron’s CEO, Guy Saxton, “the company worked for a long time with Enseada to overcome numerous obstacles in order to make this first shipment and effectively make Enseada a port that will benefit other users, The State of Bahia and Brazil,” revealed Saxton.

The activity, which started yesterday at the industrial and port complex of Enseada, was led by the Industrial Director of the company, Mário Moura. For him, the operation will certify the industrial, port and naval complex of Bahia as an important national player for safe and efficient logistic operations. “We are offering Bahia another alternative to distribute its wealth a TUP with a privileged position, sheltered waters and deep draught”, revealed Moura.

In recent years, Enseada has undergone a strategic repositioning, expanding its operations beyond the naval vocation. Today, the company offers integrated engineering solutions for naval, logistics-port and industrial projects, combining innovation, quality, productivity and a comprehensive sustainability policy that differentiates it. In addition, it has a sound governance policy.

Productivity gain

The ship Star Athena is a bulk carrier built in 2012 with a cargo capacity of 57809 tons. It has a draught of 6.5 meters, a total length of 189.99 meters and a width of 32.26 meters. After loading, the vessel will travel with the 44,000 tons of ore to China.

According to Roberto Mann, head of Logistics at Brazil Iron, the Enseada’s alternative proved to be safe, viable and competitive. “In mining, logistics represents a significant part of the business, and Enseada has provided us with excellent and safe service, representing a productivity gains for us,” Mann said.

Brazil Iron has over 433 square kilometers of mining rights in Bahia. The company produces and sells some of the world’s highest quality iron ore products. This means less pollution in the steelmaking process and higher quality steel for an urbanizing world population. It produces and sells on the domestic market and to Europe and Asia with low impurities.

“This resumption of operations of Enseada Shipyard is very important for the economy of Bahia, generating a positive impact on our trade balance. We had a meeting today with the president of the shipyard, Maurício Almeida, and we are discussing, including the use of the equipment as a liquid bulk terminal, for the manufacture of wind towers and ships, dismantling of large ships and maintenance of platforms and vessels, in addition to its use as a port for grain distribution. We had a meeting with the Port of Barcelona, which was scheduled for March 18, in addition to receiving a mission of Spanish entrepreneurs to prospect new business opportunities for the Shipyard. The pandemic has hit and we have had to postpone this agenda which we will be resumed with full steam, as well as the negotiation with other partners from abroad”, highlighted the State Planning Secretary, Walter Pinheiro.

For the Vice-Governor João Leão, Secretary of Economic Development of the State, the resuming of Enseada’s activities is strategic for the naval, port and mining sector of Bahia. “Bahia is the national leader in the production of 11 mineral goods, we have the prospect of growth in the mining segment with the Integração Oeste-Leste Railway, on one side, and the shipyard, on the other side. This is the largest shipyard in the country, which has already been a source of opportunities and has generated over 7,000 jobs. We are prospecting new mineral provinces, through the Companhia Baiana de Pesquisa Mineral(CBPM)This set of actions will contribute significantly to the resumption of development in our State,” he said.

“Enseada will be an important tool for the generation of jobs and income for Bahia during the process of resuming the economic activities in the post-Pandemic period. The construction of the bridge over the Baetantã River, in Maragojipe, by the State Government, through the Department of Infrastructure, facilitates the transport of cargo that goes to the terminal. Now, the movement of products to embark from the shipyard will be facilitated,” says the Secretary of Infrastructure of Bahia, Marcus Cavalcanti.