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First vessel to make big crossing from Antwerp to Brazilian port of Açu

[ May 16, 2019   //   ]

Last week the BBC Amethyst anchored in Porto do Açu, Brazil. She is the first vessel to make the big crossing from Antwerp to the Brazilian sea port. Quite an achievement for Port of Antwerp International and the local partners who invested in the Brazilian port, thereby promoting trade with Antwerp. Brazil, the biggest economy of Latin America and number 7 in the world, is a key trading partner for the Port of Antwerp.

The first cargo?

A Siemens gas turbine, an essential component of the new thermoelectric power plant of GNA – Gás Natural Açu Ltda, which is a joint venture among Prumo (parent holding company Porto do Açu), BP and Siemens, aimed at converting LNG to electricity. With a 3 gigawatt capacity, the complex will provide around 14 million of households with electricity. The project is part of the largest LNG-to-power complex in Latin America, which is being built by GNA at Port of Açu. The company also has environmental license to more than double its size, reaching 6.4 GW of installed capacity, which will allow the development of additional thermoelectric projects in the future.

The gas turbine was first transported by barge from Mülheim, Germany, to the Katoen-natie terminal in Antwerp, where it was subsequently loaded into the hold of the BBC Amethyst, together with other bulky components. The project cargo then continued its journey towards Porto do Açu.