Maritime Transport - Fleet Program Petrobras

Maritime Transport - Fleet Program

The largest ship owner in Latin America, Transpetro is preparing to sail with a renewed fleet. The Fleet Modernization and Expansion Program (Promef), which is part of the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) of the Federal Government, represents a milestone for the large vessels industry in Brazil. The 49 new tankers will meet both the need to ensure greater autonomy and control in the transport of the Petrobras' production and serve as a foundation for the revival of the Brazilian shipbuilding industry.

Just in the first stage, the ship program will generate more than 20 thousand direct jobs. Moreover, the Brazilian naval industry, stagnant since the 1980s, is now being reactivated. In this trail, other sectors of the industry have been stimulated, among these the naval-parts industry, and the steel and metallurgy industries that will provide the inputs for the construction of the ordered ships.

The 26 new ships set out in the first stage shall have capacity to transport approximately 2.7 million deadweight tons (DWT). Ten Suezmax ships, five Aframax ships, four Panamax ships, four products ships and three gas tankers (LPG - Liquefied Petroleum Gas) will be built.

With the fleet renewed, Transpetro can better respond to the challenges imposed by the increased domestic production of fuels and self-sufficiency in petroleum, and the expansion of Petrobras in Brazil and abroad.

Promef 1

In the first phase of the Fleet Modernization and Expansion Program, the following ships are under construction. The winning companies of the bidding process were:

• Atlântico Sul Shipyard (PE): 10 Suezmax ships
Lump Sum Price: US$ 1.2 billion

• Atlântico Sul Shipyard (PE): 5 Aframax ships
Lump Sum Price: US$ 693 millions

• Ilha Shipyard S.A. - Eisa (RJ): 4 Panamax ships
Lump Sum Price: US$ 468 millions

• Mauá Shipyard (RJ): 4 product ships
Lump Sum Price: US$ 277 millions

• Three Gas Tankers of 7,000 M3 in bidding process.


Types of ships

• Promef 2
  
  The second stage of the Fleet Modernization and Expansion Program (Promef) was launched on May 26, 2008 in Niterói, and was attended by the President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
  
  In this new stage, 23 new ships foreseen for the second stage are being auctioned, with expectation to reach a total of 1.3 million deadweight tons (DWT), the 23 ships will require about 250 thousand tons of steel during the construction. The second stage was divided into three bids, as follows:
  
  A) 15 oil tankers, divided into the following lots:
  
  Lot 1 - 4 Suezmax DP (Dynamic Position);
  Lot 2 - 3 Aframax DP (Dynamic Position)
  Lot 3 - 3 for Clear Products 45.000 tons;
  Lot 4 - 3 for Clear Products 30.000 tons and 2 for Dark Products 30.000 tons.
  
  The international bidding notice was issued on July 8, 2008, in the Headquarters of Transpetro.
  
  B) 3 bunker (ship fuel) ships in one single lot.
  
  The international bidding notice was issued on July 08, 2008, in the Headquarters of Transpetro.
  
  C) 8 LPG tankers (3 ships of Promef 1 and 5 ships of Promef 2).
  
  2 Semi-pressurized Gas Tankers 12.000 m3;
  4 Pressurized Gas Tankers 7.000 m3 and 2 Pressurized Gas Tankers 4.000 m3.
  
  The international bidding notice was published on August 27, 2009, in the Headquarters of Transpetro.
  
  The Promef (1 and 2) is one of the most important projects of the Growth Acceleration Program - PAC, and will create approximately 40 mil jobs in the country by 2015.
  
  The premises of the program are that the ships be built in Brazil, with guarantee of a nationalization rate of 65% in Promef I and 70% in Promef all, and that the shipyards become internationally competitive.
  
  (Source: Transpetro)