Wilson Sons has been increasingly consolidating its leadership in the harbour towage sector in the North Arch. In 2021, the company had a significant growth in volume of manoeuvers in the ports in the region and has positive expectations for the coming years, mainly due to the various investments planned for the port sector, in addition to the optimization of the logistics of cargo flow. According to ANTAQ data, the ports of the North Arch, together, grew by more than 25% from 2016 to 2021.
"Investment in infrastructure such as railways, for example, will be fundamental to support the projects of the major players in the market. The railway modal is important for the development of the North Arch, in addition to being an excellent way to connect its ports to other regions of the country”, highlights Mateus Melo, regional manager of the Towage division.
The year 2021 was also marked by representing the first full 12 months of the company's operations in Santarém, the port where the Towage unit started operating in November 2020. Knowing the importance of the terminal for the region, Wilson Sons was the first towage provider with an azimuth tug with a bollard pull (BP) of more than 45 tons in Santarém and, to make this possible, the company studied the local operation, trained its crew and implemented all the necessary controls so that its performance was safe and efficient.
Among the main cargoes handled by the ports of the North Arch are iron ore, oil and derivatives, grains and fertilizers. The Towage division also has a strong presence in the Ponta da Madeira terminal, contributing to iron ore being the most representative cargo for the company in the North Arch. Another important sector for the Wilson Sons business unit is oil and its derivatives, mainly in the Port of Itaqui. In agribusiness, which includes cargo such as soybeans, corn and fertilizers, Wilson Sons grew by almost 20% in the volume of ship manoeuvers in the last year, with emphasis on Itaqui, a terminal that has become increasingly important for the region.
The strategic positioning and long-term vision made it possible for Wilson Sons to operate with a fleet of tugboats sized to accompany the development of the ports of the North Arch. “We are the company with the largest availability of tugboats in the region and with the best service coverage in the ports of the North Arch. In addition, we are a reference in providing towage services to various cargoes relevant to the region, such as agribusiness”, explains Mateus.
There are almost 20 tugboats allocated to serve the North Arch. With the introduction of the new tugboats scheduled for the coming years, in compliance with the IMO TIER III standard, which reduces the emission levels of nitrogen oxides by more than 75%, the region is part of the priority list of the company. A reference in safety, the Wilson Sons business unit has had no lost time accidents in the ports of the North Arch for more than six years.
With a fleet of 80 tugboats, the largest in Brazil, Wilson Sons is present in 25 locations, covering almost the entire Brazilian coast. The company has a Tugboat Operations Center (COR), which monitors vessels 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In addition, it has the Maritime Training Centre (CAMWS), where periodic training is carried out for crews and specific projects for customers and other interested parties, with a specialized technical team recognized throughout the market, through Wilson Sons' own manoeuvre simulator, which can offer different operational scenarios.