Wilson Sons announced a significant 55% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from cargo operations at the Santa Clara Container Terminal in Rio Grande do Sul.
The company developed a new calculation methodology, based on the Brazilian Greenhouse Gas Program and validated by SGS, an inspection, verification, testing, and certification firm.
Using this method, Wilson Sons assessed GHG emissions from cargo handled at the Santa Clara waterway terminal in Triunfo. The findings revealed that waterway transportation generates 55% fewer GHG emissions compared to road transport.
Furthermore, the study compared emissions from river and road transport on the route between Santa Clara and the Rio Grande Container Terminals. It showed that transporting containers by road results in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions of up to 0.196 tonnes per TEU, which is double the emissions from river transport.
This calculation assumes a barge with 90% occupancy, reflecting the average occupancy rate at the terminal.
“The study findings are a milestone in the history of cargo transportation in Brazil, as they portray the efforts that have been made to reduce emissions, promote multimodality and help the terminal meet its clients’ sustainability goals since they benefit from carrying out their logistics operations via waterways,” commented Cleiton Lages, Environment and Safety Manager at Rio Grande Container Terminal.
