MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Petrobras subsidiary seeks to expand logistics capabilities

Petrobras aims to be less dependent on third-party carriers

Transpetro, a subsidiary of Brazil's State-run oil company Petrobras launched a tender this week for the construction of four vessels for the transport of fuels such as gasoline, Agencia Brasil reported. The winning shipyard is to be announced by the end of this year.

The initiative seeks to fully renew the company's fleet pursuant to the plan drafted for the 2024–2028 timespan. The call for tenders can be found on the Petronect portal and has the format of an open international tender, Agencia Brasil also noted. Interested companies have 90 days to submit their proposals.

Under the tender schedule, the first Handy ship is expected to be launched in the first half of 2026. The other ships are due to be delivered by mid-2028.

The process also includes technical specifications that guarantee the incorporation of a package of more efficient equipment in terms of consumption, with the possibility of using alternative fuels. As a result, the ships will be more sustainable and the carbon footprint will be reduced, meeting the requirements of the International Maritime Organization.

In the view of Transpetro President Sérgio Bacci, Monday was a vital day for the Petrobras system as it marked the resumption of investments in its own fleet. “This was a motto I had always stood for: The increase in the number of Brazilian-flagged ships in cabotage operations. The tender for the four Handy-class ships is open and international. All shipyards meeting the technical and economic requirements of the tender can build the ships that will be acquired,” he said at a presser.

The new ships will be essential to reduce the parent company’s exposure to freight fluctuations, “mainly because there is low liquidity of vessels of this size on the market,” Bacci added.