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Petrobras and Transpetro Invest R$ 2.8 Billion in 41 New Vessels Built in Brazil, with Projects in Three States and Over 9,000 Jobs Expected.
Five large vessels for transporting gas are beginning to take shape in Rio Grande do Sul. Thousands of kilometers away, workers in Manaus are constructing barges to carry fuel to Brazilian ports. In Santa Catarina, another shipyard is preparing tugs to move these cargoes through water. According to Agência Gov, Petrobras and Transpetro have contracted 41 new vessels for approximately R$ 2.8 billion, which has the potential to generate over 9,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The contracts were signed in January 2026 as part of the Open Sea Program, created to renew and expand the fleet used by the Petrobras System. This includes five gas carriers, 18 barges, and 18 tugs. The projects are divided among Rio Grande do Sul, Amazonas, and Santa Catarina, bringing together three Brazilian naval hubs within the same order package.
The Package Introduces 41 New Vessels Under Construction
The math is straightforward. The five gas carriers will be used to transport LPG, the liquefied petroleum gas commonly found in cooking gas cylinders, along with other derivatives. The 18 barges will carry fuels, while the 18 tugs will be responsible for moving them.
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Together, these three orders amount to approximately R$ 2.8 billion. The largest contract is in Rio Grande do Sul, but work is also directly reaching Manaus and Navegantes.
Transpetro will be responsible for the operation of the vessels. The company is a subsidiary of Petrobras and manages a significant portion of the transportation and logistics of oil, gas, and derivatives in the country.
Rio Grande do Sul Receives the Largest Share of Investment
The Rio Grande Shipyard, controlled by Ecovix, will be responsible for the five gas carriers. The contract totals about R$ 2.2 billion, nearly four-fifths of the entire package announced in January.
Three of the vessels will have a capacity of 7,000 cubic meters and two larger ones will have a capacity of 14,000 cubic meters. All will be used to transport LPG and other products along the Brazilian coast.
The expectation communicated at the program’s launch was for up to 3,200 direct and indirect jobs tied solely to the construction of these five vessels. The work involves welders, assemblers, electricians, engineers, and dozens of companies that supply parts and services.
The New Gas Carriers Will Feature Technology for Reduced Fuel Consumption
The five vessels will not simply replicate the current fleet. Petrobras has stated that they will have energy consumption up to 20% lower and could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 30%.
They will also be equipped to operate in ports with electrical power supply. This allows portions of fuel-powered equipment to be turned off while the vessel is docked, reducing consumption and emissions during port operation.
The design also leaves room for new fuel solutions in the future. Information from the maritime sector indicates that the vessels could be adapted if Transpetro decides to use methanol as an energy source later on.
The Fleet of Gas Carriers is Set to More Than Double
Transpetro had six gas carriers before the new cycle of orders. The full plan anticipates eight new vessels, with five being built in Rio Grande do Sul and three others contracted in a separate batch.
With the addition of these eight vessels, the fleet will expand from six to 14 gas carriers. The company estimates that its transportation capacity for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and other derivatives will be nearly three times larger.
Having more vessels in its own fleet also reduces the need to lease ships from other companies. This leasing process is known as chartering and is often used when the company does not have enough vessels to meet its routes.
In Manaus, 18 barges begin to open another front
In Amazonas, the work has been awarded to the Bertolini Naval Construction Shipyard of the Amazon, known as Beconal. The order consists of 18 barges, with a total investment of approximately R$ 303.5 million.
A barge is a large, flat-bottomed vessel designed to carry heavy loads. It does not have its own engine for navigation and needs to be pushed by a smaller vessel.
Of the 18 units, ten will be able to transport up to 3,000 tons and eight will have a capacity of 2,000 tons. The largest will measure up to 70 meters in length, 16 meters in width, and can carry different types of fuel in separate tanks.
The barges have already entered a more advanced phase
The order from Amazonas has moved beyond just a contractual agreement on paper. In August 2026, Transpetro reported that the first barge was nearing the floating phase of construction, when the hull can already be placed in the water.
At that time, the projected completion for the first unit was set for October 2026. The company plans to initiate operations in Rio de Janeiro before proceeding to Santos and Belém.
The goal is to have the 18 barges operational by February 2028. They will also serve Paranaguá in Paraná and Rio Grande in Rio Grande do Sul.
Santa Catarina will build the 18 tugs
The barges cannot navigate on their own. Therefore, the same project includes 18 tugs, which will be built by the Naval Industry of Santa Catarina, located in Navegantes, Santa Catarina.
The contract amounts to approximately R$ 325.3 million. Each tug will measure up to 18.7 meters in length and will have a power of 450 kilowatts, sufficient strength to move and control the barges during operations.
These vessels will be able to operate continuously for up to five days. They will also come equipped with technology to enhance maneuvering precision in ports, channels, and areas with limited space for large sets of equipment.
Barge and tug will operate as a unit
In practice, both types of vessels work together. The tug fits into the rear of the barge and provides the necessary power for the unit to navigate.
The expected speed reaches approximately six knots. One knot equals about 1.85 kilometers per hour, placing the maximum speed near 11 kilometers per hour.
That may seem slow, but these vessels are not designed for speed. The goal is to safely transport large volumes of fuel within ports, bays, rivers, and other more sheltered waters.
Marine fuel will be one of the main cargoes
Barges and tugs will primarily be used for transporting bunker fuel. This is the name given to the fuel used by large ships.
Today, delivering bunker to a vessel can require various operations and companies. Transpetro aims to enter this market directly and use its own fleet to service ships at major Brazilian ports.
The company anticipates operations in Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Belém, Paranaguá, and Rio Grande. The new service also positions Transpetro within the so-called inland navigation, which includes rivers, channels, lakes, bays, and other sheltered waters.
Over 9,000 jobs could be created from the orders
The industrial impact extends beyond the ships. The government and Petrobras estimate that the complete package could involve more than 9,000 direct and indirect jobs during construction.
Just the 18 barges and 18 tugs could collectively create about 1,500 direct positions and approximately 4,600 indirect jobs. This represents nearly 6,100 workers tied to the two orders.
The five gas carriers add up to 3,200 direct and indirect jobs. Combined, the three fronts exceed the forecast of 9,000 positions announced when the contracts were revealed.
A naval order generates work far beyond the shipyard
Building a ship requires much more than assembling steel plates near the water. Each vessel needs engines, piping, electrical systems, valves, cables, safety equipment, paints, and hundreds of other items.
This is why indirect jobs emerge. Companies located far from the shipyard can provide parts, transportation, food, equipment, and services over the several years of construction.
That is also why large orders are significant for cities reliant on the shipbuilding industry. When a shipyard receives multiple vessels at once, it can keep teams working for longer and hire suppliers with greater confidence.
The Open Sea Program goes well beyond these 41 vessels
The R$ 2.8 billion is part of a larger plan. The Open Sea Program encompasses various projects to renew and expand the fleet used by Petrobras and Transpetro.
In June 2026, Transpetro reported that it had already ordered 52 vessels under the program, with investments nearing R$ 11.6 billion by 2030. The broader planning anticipates dozens of additional units in the coming years.
Petrobras’ business plan also includes new cabotage ships and support vessels used in offshore oil operations. Cabotage refers to transportation between ports within the same country.
The five gas carriers still undergo a stage before construction gains momentum
Although the contracts were signed in January, the gas carriers still needed to fulfill requirements related to insurance and guarantees before the full mobilization of construction.
On August 21, 2026, Transpetro announced that the documentation was in the final phase. At that time, the expectation was to complete the so-called contract effectiveness by the end of the month.
This stage clears the way for advancing the activities outlined in the contract. Thus, the gas carriers’ schedule is progressing at a different pace than that of the barges, whose first unit was already entering the final construction phase in August.
Three states begin working on the same new fleet
In Rio Grande do Sul, the work is tied to large ships that will transport gas along the coast. In Amazonas, workers are building the barges that will carry fuel within ports and sheltered waters.
In Santa Catarina, the tugs will complete these sets. When the units begin operations, vessels built in three different regions will work within the same logistics network.
The package began with contracts signed for R$ 2.8 billion. Now, part of the projects has moved forward, while another progresses through the final stages before scaling up in the shipyards.
There are 41 vessels in this set alone. Behind them lie steel, engines, welding, engineering, and thousands of workers spread across the country.
