Bulk terminal begins operational tests in São Francisco do Sul with arrival of cargo ship

The Santa Catarina Bulk Terminal (TGSC), linked to Bunge, received its first cargo ship on Monday (2) in São Francisco do Sul, on the north coast of Santa Catarina. The arrival of the Aristo Ocean, measuring about 229 meters in length, marked the start of operational tests at the facility, which will handle grain for export.

The vessel berthed at around 9 a.m. and will be loaded with soybeans. According to information released about the project, the operation is intended to assess equipment, systems, and procedures before regular activities are consolidated. The company clarified that the terminal has not yet begun commercial operations and that the licensing process is still underway.

Located at Morro Bela Vista, near the Port of São Francisco do Sul, the terminal was designed to handle up to 6 million tonnes of grain per year. The facility includes static storage capacity for 135,000 tonnes and a 174-meter berth.

The complex also has 980 meters of conveyor belts, with capacity to move up to 2,000 tonnes per hour, as well as a horizontal warehouse and six vertical silos in the storage area.

At the end of August, the National Waterway Transport Agency published the terminal’s operating release authorization. The first berthing follows this regulatory development and represents a stage for checking how the new port infrastructure works.

Once commercial operations begin, the terminal may expand grain-shipping options in Santa Catarina and strengthen the connection between agricultural production, logistics services, and international markets.