Wilson Sons has inked a deal with Vale, a global mining company, to berth seven vessels at its shipyard in Port Santos.
During the five-year deal, planned maintenance will be performed on five tugboats and two of the mining firm’s ferryboats that operate in Rio de Janeiro, saving the mining company 67 per cent on fuel costs.
Vale vessels provide port support by docking and undocking ships at the Ilha Guaíba Terminal (TIG) in Mangaratiba and the Companhia Portuária Baía de Sepetiba (CPBS) terminal in Itaguaí, both controlled by the firm.
Vale’s tugs and ferryboats will be serviced by 60 specialist personnel, including hull and tank treatment and painting, tank cleaning, structural repairs, disassembly, and valve testing.
Rodrigo Vasconcelos, Director of Operations at Vale in Costa Verde in Rio de Janeiro, said: “Positive expectations for the start of this new partnership between Vale and Wilson Sons, which represents a significant step towards our common objective: ensuring the safety and quality of our processes.
“We are confident that, by combining our resources and expertise, we will be able to achieve better results and offer even greater value to our customers.”
Vale has contracted seven vessel dockings, starting with the tugboat Guaíba. Services began on 18 July.
The Executive Director of the shipyard division of Wilson Sons, Adalberto Souza, stated: “We are very happy to serve Vale, choosing the mining company for the excellent services at our shipyard.
“With the technical capacity of our professionals and the use of cutting-edge technology, we always work to surprise the customer, focused on ensuring the safety and operational efficiency of the vessels. We seek to serve the customer by offering innovative and customized solutions, contributing to the development of the country’s port and maritime logistics sector.”
After Guaíba, another Vale vessel is expected to gain docking services before the end of the year.
The contract covers docking for tugboats Moatize, Mutuca, Alegria, and Fazendão, as well as ferryboats Vale Mangaratiba and Vale Sahi.
In July, Wilson Sons welcomed the MSC Orion at Salvador Container Terminal.