Palfinger Marine to Deliver Eight Cranes for Brazilian Inland Navigation Vessels

PALFINGER MARINE will deliver eight Stiff Boom Cranes PS 15500M for four inland navigation vessels to the Brazilian shipyard Estaleiro Rio Maguari (ERM). 

This contributes to the optimization of inland navigation in Latin America (LATAM) along the Paraguay-Paraná waterway. The cooperation between PALFINGER MARINE and ERM is part of a large-scale inland waterway transport project led by LHG Logística, the logistics arm of the Brazilian mining company LHG Mining. The project includes the construction of 400 barges and 15 pusher boats to support iron ore transport.

In the future, those boats will travel 2,500 kilometers along the waterway to Uruguay, where minerals will be transferred to ocean-going vessels. The pusher tug project is designed by the Canadian company Robert Allan Ltd. PALFINGER MARINE’s cranes onboard the pusher boats will be used to support operations, maintenance, and load movements on deck. The delivery of the first cranes will start in early summer this year and be completed at the beginning of 2026.

Brazil's maritime industry is experiencing significant growth, driven by developments in coastal transportation and offshore energy projects. The country’s government aims to improve the regional competitiveness in global commodity markets leveraging its vast coastline for sustainable logistics. As part of its strategy, the focus lays on reviving the local maritime industry to utilize the cost advantages of waterways as transport routes.