Operation confirms Atem Group’s technical excellence and reinforces its leadership in Amazonian river transport infrastructure.
Belém, Brazil | October 2025 – In a milestone that redefines the scope of riverine logistics in South America, Atem Group’s Private Use Terminal (TUP) in Belém has successfully completed a record-setting heavy-lift operation involving the loading of 16 barges transversally aboard the vessel AAL Hamburg.
Conducted between October 8 and 24, the complex maneuver marks the first operation of its kind in the continent’s navigation history and establishes the Belém Terminal as a critical gateway in the continental logistics chain connecting Brazil’s Amazon region to the Paraguay–Paraná Waterway.
Precision, Engineering, and Coordination
Each barge — weighing approximately 380 tons — was lifted using a tandem crane operation that demanded extraordinary synchronization, engineering precision, and adherence to rigorous safety and environmental standards. The technical planning encompassed months of preparation, with seamless coordination among Atem Distribuidora, Navemazônia, and multiple port and regulatory authorities.
“We monitored the operation every single day to ensure flawless execution,” said Ewerton Camurça, Head of Atem’s Belém Base. “Because the barges have open decks, even rainfall had to be factored into our scheduling. Navemazônia’s team ensured each barge was perfectly aligned and ready for hoisting.”
The operation was conducted under the supervision of the Amazon Eastern Ports Authority, the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service, naval engineers, and technical consultants, ensuring full compliance with national and international standards, including the ISPS Code (International Ship and Port Facility Security).
Human Excellence Behind a Technical Feat
Monica Marselha, Regional Operations Superintendent at Atem, emphasized the dedication and unity that underpinned the achievement “After the AAL Hamburg’s successful departure, our team felt stronger and ready for challenges of equal or greater scale. It’s a blend of pride and satisfaction to contribute to a pioneering operation in Latin America. This success reflects our focus on teamwork, safety, and operational excellence.”
A Strategic Link for Continental Integration
The barges are destined for LHG Logística, where they will join the company’s growing inland fleet serving the Paraguay–Paraná Waterway — a route pivotal to Brazil’s integration with regional markets in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay.
Financed through Brazil’s Merchant Marine Fund (FMM) with the support of BNDES, the project is part of a wider multimodal logistics corridor connecting the Brazilian Midwest (Pantanal region) to southern South America. This corridor enhances competitiveness and advances sustainable, lower-carbon transport options across the region.
“For Atem Group, this operation represents innovation, technical capability, and continental integration,” said Ângelo Maranho, Institutional Director for Navigation at Atem. “The fluvial mode is not just efficient — it is essential to building a sustainable logistics future for South America.”
Echoing that vision, André Silva, Operations Director at Atem Group, added “The Belém Terminal embodies our commitment to safe, responsible, and technically advanced operations that respect the Amazon and strengthen Brazil’s role in regional connectivity.”
Global Recognition
The unprecedented nature of the operation drew international media coverage, which hailed it as “a technically complex, unprecedented milestone in regional navigation.”
These outlets underscored Atem Belém Terminal’s strategic role as an operational hub for fluvial integration across South America.
About Atem Group
Atem Group is one of Brazil’s largest integrated energy and logistics conglomerates, with deep roots in the Amazon and a diversified portfolio encompassing fuel distribution, fluvial and road transport, refining, shipbuilding, and logistics solutions.
The Group serves a wide spectrum of clients — from fuel stations and industrial consumers to agribusiness and power producers — supported by a robust governance framework, operational excellence, and a longstanding commitment to sustainable development and regional progress.
Source: Atem Group