Brazil’s Transpetro has opened a public tender for the construction of 18 barges and 18 pusher tugs as part of its push into the country’s inland fuel transport market.
The Petrobras subsidiary launched the bidding round this week, aiming to boost its logistics capacity and diversify operations along Brazil’s major river and coastal routes.
Under the tender, ten of the barges will have a capacity of 3,000 dwt and eight will be 2,000 dwt. Once built, the new units will make Transpetro one of Brazil’s largest operators of petroleum product and biofuel barges.
Transpetro president Sérgio Bacci said the tender is expected to generate work across Brazilian shipyards.
“Transpetro remains committed to meeting the evolving needs of the Brazilian shipping industry,” he said, adding: “Our entry into inland waterway transportation expands and strengthens our operational capacity, offering new logistics solutions to more than 170 customers.”
The Brazilian barge sector currently moves around 10 million tonnes of oil and petroleum products per year.
Márcio Guimarães, Transpetro’s director of pipelines and terminals, said the company’s strategy reflects its goal of becoming a major multimodal operator.
“We continually seek to expand our operations through the integration of different logistics modes,” he said. “Our plan is to enhance existing infrastructure with new transportation solutions and expand our service capacity. We will be a major player in this mode,” he added.
The tender has been divided into six lots — three covering barges and three for pusher tugs. Bidders can secure more than one lot, with deliveries expected to begin in 2026. According to the tender, the barges must be capable of carrying one or more petroleum products and will feature modern segregation and safety systems.
