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MSC Katrina, from MSC, with 366 meters and capacity for 14,131 containers, docked at the MultiRio terminal on Thursday (05/14) after dredging that took the channel to 16.2 meters deep, with an investment of R$ 163 million from PortosRio
The port of Rio received on Thursday, May 14, 2026, the first 366-meter ship in its history.
According to a report by Portos e Navios, the container ship MSC Katrina, from MSC and under the Panamanian flag, docked at the MultiRio terminal on the banks of Avenida Brasil.
The operation marks the result of a R$ 163 million dredging carried out by PortosRio, the port authority responsible for the complex.
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MSC Katrina, the New Panamax giant that paved the way
The MSC Katrina is a New Panamax class container ship, built in 2012. It is 366 meters in total length, 48.4 meters in beam, and has a capacity for 14,131 TEU containers.
Therefore, the ship falls into the category of the largest in the world capable of crossing the expanded locks of the Panama Canal.
According to Portos e Navios, the vessel arrived at the Rio port from the Port of Suape, in Pernambuco. It then proceeds to Santos, the largest port in South America.
According to Flavio Vieira, CEO of PortosRio, “today, the port is prepared to operate the largest container ships that call at the Brazilian coast.” The statement summarizes the operational leap achieved by the dredging.
The R$ 163 million dredging
The access channel to the port had its depth increased from 15 meters to 16.2 meters. The allowed operational draft rose to 15.30 meters, sufficient to accommodate the keel of the MSC Katrina.
The entire investment was funded by PortosRio, without direct federal public funding. The scope of the work also included modernized nautical signaling and buoying.
To understand the scale, each additional meter of depth in the channel releases an entire class of larger ships.
In comparison, the difference between 15 and 16.2 meters allows the entry of vessels with 20% more capacity.
According to port analysts, the R$ 163 million investment represents one of the largest recent investments by PortosRio in underwater infrastructure. The work lasted months and required coordination with the Navy and Piloting.
MultiRio Terminal is the docking point
The terminal chosen to receive the MSC Katrina was MultiRio, operated by Multiterminais. This terminal is currently the main container operation point of the Rio complex.
In turn, Multiterminais operates within the urban port zone of Rio, near Praça Mauá and the Caju neighborhood. The location offers logistical advantages for the state’s economic center.
In fact, the entry of the MSC Katrina symbolizes a strategic repositioning of the Rio port on the international coastal shipping and foreign trade route. Before the dredging, ships of this size simply passed by without stopping in Rio.
In practice, this means more containers moved locally. On the other hand, it reduces the logistical time for cargo destined for São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and the South, which previously had to pass through Santos.
The maneuver: 14 hours of planning
Maneuvering a 366-meter container ship in a bay like Guanabara is not simple. The Rio Piloting coordinated the entry of the MSC Katrina weeks in advance.
Compared to previous maneuvers, the operation required a specific weather window, controlled wind, and favorable tide. Therefore, it took months of planning.
According to international standards of the International Maritime Organization, ships over 350 meters operate with at least two pilots on board and three assisting tugboats.
According to sources from Praticagem-RJ, the MSC Katrina followed these parameters. The entry was made at dawn, with calm seas and full visibility.
How the port of Rio positions itself among Brazil’s main hubs
The Rio complex today competes with Santos, Itapoá, Paranaguá, and Suape among Brazil’s main container hubs. Each has its own profile.
The main Brazilian ports have distinct strengths:
- Santos (SP): leads the ranking in absolute volume moved
- Itapoá (SC): leads in automation and productivity per berth
- Suape (PE): advances in northeastern coastal shipping
- Port of Rio (RJ): now gains capacity for New Panamax without draft restriction
According to industry data, ships of 14,000 TEUs or more account for about 35% of transatlantic container traffic today. Therefore, ports without the capacity to receive them quickly lose competitiveness.
In other words, Rio’s dredging was not just a technical work. It was a strategic decision to keep the port on the map of Brazilian international trade.
MSC: the world’s largest shipping company
MSC, Mediterranean Shipping Company, is the largest container shipping company in the world since 2022, according to the ranking by Alphaliner. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has a fleet of over 800 ships.
On the other hand, the company operates regular services in more than 500 ports on all continents. Brazil is a relevant market in MSC’s South American operation.
According to the company, the MSC Katrina is part of the Brazil Express service, which connects South Atlantic ports to European and African hubs.
In practice, this means that cargo shipped from Rio can reach Rotterdam or Antwerp in regular windows of 15 to 20 days.
In comparison, the previous route, with mandatory transshipment in Santos, delayed transit by up to 7 days.
Economic and logistical impact
According to analysts, Rio de Janeiro is the second-largest consumer state in Brazil, behind only São Paulo.
Thus, the local port capacity to absorb larger ships reduces logistical costs for the industry and retail in Rio.
According to industry analysts, the scale gain at MultiRio can reduce the average TEU cost by 10% to 15% on Atlantic routes.
This translates into lower import prices and greater competitiveness in exports.
Additionally, there is an environmental gain. Larger ships move more cargo per trip, reducing CO₂ emissions per container transported.
Parallels with global naval megaengineering
Rio’s movement happens in the same cycle in which global shipowners launch increasingly larger ships.
Recently, the CMA CGM Grand Palais crossed the Suez Canal with 400 meters and 23,876 containers, marking the new generation of ULCV vessels.
Indeed, ships like the Grand Palais still cannot operate in Brazilian ports, but Rio’s dredging prepares the ground for the next generation.
Meanwhile, the Port of Suape recorded a 38.5% increase and Itaqui surged 44% in January 2026, showing that the Northeast is also accelerating.
Additionally, in the South Atlantic, the Rio complex can now compete for routes previously exclusive to Santos.
At this moment of expansion, Rio enters with a strong card: technical capacity to receive ships that only Santos could before. Compared to the previous decade, the leap is significant.
Next steps for the port of Rio in the new dredging phase
Therefore, the PortosRio port authority is already studying a new dredging phase to raise the channel to 17 meters in the coming years. This would be the necessary step to receive ships up to 400 meters.
Therefore, the arrival of the MSC Katrina is not the endpoint. It is the first stage of a larger plan to modernize the Rio port.
According to industry sources, expansion and modernization projects for quays, back areas, and road access are under discussion with the federal government and private investors.
Will Rio be able to regain the port prominence it had in the 20th century before being overtaken by Santos?
The answer depends less on isolated works and more on continued investment over the decade.
Still, it is worth remembering that competition with Santos remains unequal in absolute volume. Rio needs to stamp the newly achieved scale with sustained operational productivity in the coming months.
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