LIBRA port operation investment

Brazilian port operator Libra Terminais is spending US$33mn on heavy equipment with the goal of increasing its container movement at Santos port by as much as 30%, local daily Valor Econômico reported.

The new equipment will be installed in the coming month and includes gantry cranes, 13 forklifts and 80 trucks. Libra operates Terminal 37 at Santos, Latin America's biggest port; the company expects to move 520,000 TEUs through the terminal this year, up 13% over 2005.

CONTAINER TERMINAL AT IMBITUBA PORT

Libra is also investing US$6mn this year to expand operations of its container terminal at Imbituba port in southern Santa Catarina state. The company recently signed a contract with the port authority Companhia Docas de Imbituba for operations through 2012.

Libra is installing one new gantry crane in the 40,000 sq meter area.

"Today at Imbituba we move between 1,200 and 1,500 containers a month. With the new equipment we should increase movement to 3,000," said vice president Álvaro Sávio.

Imbituba is Libra's second container terminal in Brazil. The company also operates at Rio de Janeiro port, where it expects to move 120,000 TEUs for the year, approximately the same as 2005.

Libra is looking to increase movement across its three ports by 18% for the year.