Construction of the 27th barge reinforces the recovery of the naval industry in the Northeast

The Brazilian shipping industry recorded another important advance this week with the launch of the 27th mineral barge built by the Tenenge-Enseada consortium for LHG Mining, a company belonging to the J&F group. The ceremony took place in Maragogipe, Bahia, reinforcing the leading role of national shipyards in large-scale projects aimed at cargo transportation.

The vessel is part of an ambitious program that foresees the construction of 400 mineral barges in four shipyards located in the North and Northeast regions of the country. Within this project, Estaleiro Enseada will be responsible for manufacturing 80 units.

Measuring 60 meters long and capable of transporting up to 2,900 tons of cargo, the new barge represents another step in expanding the fleet destined for LHG Mining’s logistics operations. The program has a strategic role in the flow of mineral production and in strengthening Brazilian inland navigation.

In addition to the operational impacts, the project has contributed significantly to the generation of jobs and income. According to information from the consortium, the construction of the vessels has already resulted in the creation of more than 500 direct jobs and approximately 900 indirect jobs in Recôncavo Baiano, boosting the regional economy and strengthening the shipbuilding production chain.

The initiative is also part of the strategy to diversify the project portfolio of Tenenge, Novonor’s industrial engineering arm. Recently, the company announced a contract with CMM Offshore for the construction of six vessels specialized in combating oil spills at sea, known as OSRV (Oil Spill Recovery Vessel), which will be used in Petrobras operations for the next 12 years.

Considered one of the largest naval complexes in the country, the Enseada Shipyard has the capacity to process more than 100 thousand tons of steel per year and has approximately one thousand meters of quay. Initially designed for the construction and integration of offshore units, the project brings together around US$1 billion in private investments, ranking among the largest contributions ever made in the Brazilian naval industry.

The launch of the 27th barge occurs at a time of gradual resumption of national shipbuilding, driven by new orders from the mining, oil, gas and logistics sectors. Experts assess that the continuity of long-term projects is essential to guarantee predictability, generation of qualified jobs and strengthening Brazilian industrial capacity.

With the evolution of the 400 vessel program, the expectation is that the shipyards involved will expand their participation in the national logistics chain, consolidating shipbuilding as an important vector of economic and technological development for the country.