Wilson Sons has reported an unprecedented reduction of up to 55 per cent in GHG emissions from Santa Clara Container Terminal cargo operations in Rio Grande do Sul.
The company has developed a calculation methodology based on the Brazilian Greenhouse Gas Program, validated by SGS, a world leader in inspection, verification, testing and certification.
Using this methodology, Wilson Sons calculated GHG from cargo handled at the Santa Clara waterway terminal, located in Triunfo, and concluded that 55 per cent less GHG emissions are produced on the waterway compared to road transportation.
The study compared river and road transport on the route between Santa Clara and Rio Grande Container Terminals and found that, by transporting containers on the road, carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions may reach 0.196 tonnes of CO2e per TEU, which is twice as much as emissions from river transport.
The calculation is based on a barge with 90 per cent occupancy, which is the actual average terminal occupancy rate.
“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,” said Cleiton Lages, Environment and Safety Manager at Rio Grande Container Terminal.
“Since the start of operations, over 32,000 tonnes of carbon emissions have been reduced with the employment of inland navigation.”
Earlier this month, Porto Itapoá won recognition as Brazil’s top port for customer experience for the eighth year in a row at a national port sector ceremony.