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Plans are underway for a major expansion and deepening of the Babitonga Bay channel in Santa Catarina, Brazil.
Earlier this month, Governor Jorginho Mello signed a memorandum of understanding with Ports of São Francisco do Sul and Itapoá to increase the depth of the Babitonga Bay Port Complex.
The agreement involves defining the financing model, environmental licenses, contracting, execution and monitoring of the work.
With the dredging work to deepen and widen the external channel that provides access to the Ports of São Francisco do Sul and Itapoá, the depth will increase from the current 14 meters to 16 meters and will allow the navigation of vessels up to 366 meters in length. Currently, the port complex receives vessels up to 310 meters in length.
Part of the dredged sand will be used to enlarge the sand strip along the coast of the municipality of Itapoá, which has suffered from coastal erosion in recent years. This will be the first time in Brazil that sediment from port dredging will be used to widen a beach.