Ultracargo started operations at its new terminal in Palmeirante, located in the state of Tocantins. The terminal required investments reaching BRL 161 million and strengthens the company´s presence in the interior of the country and supports the Brazilian agribusiness, increasing efficiency and reliability of logistic operations involving fuels and biofuels shipment within the region.
To strengthen the Northeast logistics corridor, the company also built a 1.6 km rail siding, connecting the terminal to the VLI rail system as well as to the Port of Itaqui in the state of Maranhão. This solution warrants increased operational efficiency, sustainability, and operational predictability, in the benefit of fuel transport for the states of Tocantins, Maranhão, Pará and Mato Grosso.
The strategic location and its direct connection to the North-South rail network entail several benefits for the region:
- ● Increase of the fuel and biofuel distribution to the agricultural sector, businesses, and consumers;
- ● Reduction of the reliance on roads with traffic vulnerable to seasonal restrictions due to severe weather conditions;
- ● Greater stability of rail operations, with lower greenhouse gas emissions;
- ● Better predictability for the supply chain, minimizing the risks of delays;
- ● Increased competitive and efficient logistics in long-distance transport, with fewer transshipments and greater supply agility.
“The terminal represents a strategic opportunity for the clients, providing easier access to rail transport, less costs, and greater logistical efficiency, generating real value for the region, which faces significant supply challenges,” states Raphael Nascimento, Director of Business and Planning at Ultracargo. According to the CEO, the unit also contributes to the growth of local agribusiness, ensuring a stable supply of diesel and biofuels, increasing the productivity of farms and cooperatives, promoting the distribution of inputs and products with less environmental impact, reducing operating costs, and attracting new investments, thereby strengthening the productive base of the state of Tocantins.
In the view of Ultracargo´s CEO, Fulvius Tomelin, the start-up of the Palmeirante terminal signals a relevant step in the company´s strategy to connect the country`s productive hubs through an efficient, safe, and sustainable transport infrastructure. “The terminal strengthens the corridor that connects the country´s interior to the Port of Itaqui (MA), enabling the distribution of imported fuels to remote regions, as well as ensuring the outflow of regional biofuels to foreign markets,” concludes the CEO.
Structure of the terminal
The Palmeirante terminal has a joint storage capacity of 23,000 m³ stored in 13 tanks — 12 for fuels and biofuels and one dedicated to the firefighting system – and is connected by a 1.6 km siding to the local rail network.
Regarding safety, the Product Transfer Central – CETRAN, operates without the use of hoses, thus reducing the risks of leakage and exposure to operators, while the advanced protection systems include containment dikes with automatic foam activation in case of a fire. During construction, sustainable practices were adopted, such as the reuse of water used in hydrostatic tests and environmentally sound disposal of generated waste.
Presently, Ultracargo also operates fuel terminals in Rondonópolis (MT) and Paulínia (SP), Santos (SP), Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Aratu (BA), Suape (PE), Itaqui (MA) and Vila do Conde (PA). The company’s total storage capacity exceeds 1 million cubic meters.
To learn more about the new Palmeirante Terminal, access: https://www.ultracargo.com.br/terminal/palmeirante/.