Petrobras and its logistics arm Transpetro have signed new contracts worth about 2.8 billion reais (roughly $520 million) to build a fleet of gas carriers, barges and pushboats, advancing a major domestic shipbuilding push under Brazil’s Mar Aberto (Open Sea) Program.
The deal was formalized at a ceremony in Rio Grande do Sul attended by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, underscoring his wider priority of revitalizing Brazil’s maritime industrial base.
Under the contracts, the Rio Grande shipyard will build five pressurized LPG carriers — three with 7,000 m³ capacity and two at 14,000 m³ — representing the bulk of the investment. Once delivered, Transpetro’s owned gas fleet will expand from six to 14 vessels, tripling its LPG and derivatives transport capacity and reducing reliance on chartered tonnage.
Two other Brazilian yards will construct 18 barges and 18 pushboats, enabling Transpetro to enter inland navigation and strengthen transport logistics for petroleum products and biofuels across key waterways.
Petrobras said the new vessels will be up to 20 % more energy efficient, cut greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 30 %, and be capable of operating in electrified ports. The first tanker delivery is expected within about 33 months after construction begins, with others following every six months.
The Mar Aberto Program is part of a wider shipbuilding strategy in Brazil that foresees roughly $6 billion in investments through 2030, including coastal vessels and support ships for exploration and production operations — a significant boost to the country’s industrial production chain and logistic autonomy.
