Operational performance of container terminals in the Port of Santos

Comparative study between an organized port terminal and another for private use

Abstract

The objective of this article is to identify the potential aspects that may affect the operational performance of two container terminals, at the Port of Santos, one belonging to the organized port and the other for private use. In recent years, there has been growth in containerized cargo operations, however, this expansion has faced challenges related to the increase in online purchases, driven by e-commerce, associated with restrictions caused during the pandemic period and others of a geopolitical nature, such as the war in Ukraine. The Port of Santos is the largest in Brazil and, in the same way, in the period from 2021 to 2022, operational restrictions were observed resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and others related to its access, centered on the flow of port areas, the use of rail mode, making better use of the capacity of maritime terminals, as well as congestion and access. Aiming to better understand this scenario, qualitative descriptive research was carried out, adopting the bibliographic review technique, complemented by consultation on specialized government websites and companies in the two terminals, the object of study, aiming to clarify doubts about their infrastructures. As a result, the productivity indicators of the two terminals were obtained, showing that the terminal belonging to the organized port presented better results and that both terminals have large investments to increase their capacity. Despite this effort, it must be considered that they are limited by persistent issues regarding the infrastructure of the Port of Santos.