Port of Suape Celebrates Arrival of Maersk and Company Promises to Invest Billions to Create Thousands of Jobs

The Expectation Is That by 2025 the New Maersk Terminal Will Be Operating Properly at the Port of Suape.        

Last Tuesday (26), APM Terminals confirmed in a statement that it has made a significant bid to acquire an Isolated Productive Unit (UPI-B South Pier) from the Atlantic South Shipyard (EAS), located at the Port of Suape in Pernambuco, taking advantage of the scope of the organization’s bankruptcy recovery process. Maersk’s intention is to develop and operate a container and general cargo terminal.

According to representatives of the company belonging to the international Maersk group, as soon as the stages of the judicial auction are completed and the agreements between EAS and APM Terminals are finalized, the company expects to be officially recognized as the winner of the auction. It is estimated that thousands of jobs will be created at the Port.

Maersk Arrives at the Port of Suape

According to the Maersk group, the closing of the transaction may still be subject to obtaining relevant regulatory approvals, as well as some licenses and permits that are necessary to establish a new terminal, thus allowing offshore operations to begin, which will generate thousands of new jobs.

With the project underway, APM Terminals plans to initially invest around R$ 2.6 billion in the new terminal at the Port of Suape, which will have an initial capacity of up to 400,000 TEUs, potentially increasing the capacity of the port complex by at least 55% over the course of operations.

The logistics company also stated that, as all necessary licenses are obtained, it is expected that by the end of 2025, the new terminal at the Port of Suape could begin operations. During the 24-month construction period, it will be necessary to dredge the access channel and complete the evolution basin, a project carried out by the Port of Suape itself.

Understand How the Company Won the Auction

As previously mentioned, the company APM Terminals, which belongs to the Maersk group, submitted a new and substantial proposal last Tuesday (26) to acquire an internal area at the South Pier of the Atlantic South Shipyard for the amount of R$ 455,000,000 (four hundred and fifty-five million reais), which is R$ 5 million more than the proposal submitted by the Filipinos of Tecon Suape and Cone Suape.

Thus, Maersk, considered one of the largest logistics and shipping companies in the world, acquired the terminal of the Atlantic South Shipyard at the Port of Suape.

However, the auction process is taking place amid a judicial recovery of EAS, and therefore, the operation still needs to be officially validated by the Ipojuca Court, which is responsible for organizing the sale of the areas to pay the debts of the former shareholders.

The Arrival of Maersk at the Port of Suape Is Cause for Celebration, as New Jobs and Incomes Will Be Generated

The management of the Port of Suape celebrated the arrival of Maersk even before the final verdict, as they already knew that the victory was guaranteed for the logistics and shipping company.

According to Roberto Gusmão, current president of the Suape industrial and port complex, this is a very important change for the state of Pernambuco, as the sale will enable the arrival of a necessary hub to the state. Gusmão also stated that the Port of Suape will be placed by Maersk on another level, in the same competitive league as other major maritime ports.

The president of the industrial and port complex further explained that new long-haul routes will be drawn, such as weekly routes to the Asian and European continents.

Additionally, Gusmão emphasized that Maersk was the only one to establish a letter of intent, aiming at modernization, the inclusion of large vessels, and adherence to sustainability. It is now expected that thousands of jobs will be generated, not only for that region but also for the entire state of Pernambuco.