A biannual balance carried out by the Secretariat of Environment, Infrastructure and Logistics (Semil), through the Waterways Department (DH), shows an increase in the amount of cargo transported on the Tietê-Paraná Waterway in the first half of this year. In total, approximately 974 thousand tons of cargo were moved, 5,8% more than in the same period in 2023.
Among the main products transported are soybeans, soybean meal, corn and sugar cane. In the first half of this year, cargoes were predominantly soybeans, with 786.927 tons (81%), and sugar cane, with 186.327 tons (19%). These data refer to the São Paulo section of the Tietê-Paraná Waterway, managed by DH.
Around a third (800 km) of the 2,4 km long waterway passes through São Paulo. The remaining 1,6 km are divided between Paraná, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás and Minas Gerais.
“The Tietê-Paraná Waterway is the main waterway freight transport system in our state and an important multimodal export corridor in the country. Because it consumes less fuel and emits fewer pollutants per volume of cargo transported, it is considered a more economical and sustainable logistical means when compared to road transport”, explains the Secretary of Environment, Infrastructure and Logistics, Natália Resende. “It is worth highlighting that the waterway is an important axis for the flow of cargo in the Central-West region, which is destined for the Port of Santos”.
Semil, through DH, began, in the first half of 2023, works to expand the depth of the Nova Avanhandava channel, which aims to stimulate water transport, developing logistics in the State of São Paulo. The investment by the Government of the State of São Paulo exceeds R$300 million and the project aims to improve navigability during dry periods, reducing the risk of interruption of navigation due to the decrease in the reservoir's water level.
“This work consists of deepening the channel by 3,5 meters over 16 kilometers, which will allow the passage of large vessels during periods in which the lower water level also reduces the permitted draft”, highlights the Undersecretary of Logistics and Semil Transport, Denis Gerage Amorim.
The method chosen is special demolition, using a packaged explosive, with which 552 thousand m³ of rocky material will be removed. Completion is scheduled for the first half of 2026.
In 2023, the waterway handled approximately 2,5 million tons of various cargo. After the completion of the expansion of the depth of the Tietê River bed between the Ilha Solteira and Três Irmãos reservoirs, this volume is expected to increase significantly, reaching 7 million tons, almost three times more than the current capacity.
The mode of transport is recognized worldwide for its economic, social and environmental efficiency. Among its advantages compared to road and rail modes are greater energy efficiency, load concentration capacity and longevity of infrastructure and equipment. Furthermore, water transport contributes to reducing climate change and the greenhouse effect. Other advantages include less space consumption, less traffic congestion, lower infrastructure and operating costs, fewer accidents and less environmental impact, making the waterway mode a sustainable and advantageous alternative for cargo transport.
The waterway also allows river tourism, with tours for passengers on the navigation channel. The itineraries, concentrated in the municipality of Barra Bonita, allow trips up the river until it meets the Piracicaba River and downstream, lasting two to three hours. Until June this year, 36.516 passengers were transported, according to DH data. One of the main attractions is the crossing of the Barra Bonita dam, where the vessel is lifted by a difference in level of around 25 meters caused by the hydroelectric plant.
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