ICTSI Rio Brasil welcomes 24/7 operation of Cotunduba Canal
ICTSI Rio Brasil welcomes the anticipated shift to 24/7 operation of the Cotunduba Canal, the primary waterway access to the Port of Rio de Janeiro.
Currently, night-time maneuvers are only allowed for vessels with drafts up to 12.6 meters through the Barra Grande water. Having night-time access open to the Cotunduba channel is expected to optimize vessel entry and exit windows, and reduce waiting time by up to 50 percent since it would allow larger vessel with up to 14.6-meter drafts to maneuver 24/7. This will lead to lower costs for cargo owners and ship operators, and overall a more competitive port as the transition to 24/7 operations is expected to increase the port’s volume and eventually pave the way for larger ship calls.
Slated to commence by the second half of the year, the new schedule will kick off after the completion of several dry runs to test the safety of night maneuvers at the canal. The night trials–expected to continue until early May, are possible through the joint efforts of ICTSI Rio Brasil, Companhia Docas do Rio de Janeiro, and fellow terminal operator MultiRio to install modern nautical signaling, which make night-time passage at the channel safe.
