Source: Ports and Ships / Danilo Oliveira
National shipyards mobilize to meet Petrobras' growing demand, while facing structural, technological and financial challenges in the global market
The Brazilian shipbuilding sector is preparing for a new phase of growth driven by the growing demand for FPSOs (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading Units), especially from Petrobras. According to Arivaldo Rocha, president of the National Union of the Shipbuilding and Offshore Repair Industry (Sinaval), Brazilian shipyards have been maintaining a dialogue channel with the state-owned company to align capacities and projects. Although they currently produce fewer modules than their capacity allows, the shipyards are mobilized to expand their operations, betting on the qualification of their workforce and the resumption of competitiveness in the offshore market.
The main challenge faced by Brazilian shipyards is to regain the momentum lost in recent years, when production of UEPs in the country was practically paralyzed and contracts migrated to foreign shipyards, mainly Asian ones. This demobilization directly impacted the production chain, now requiring a coordinated effort to regain expertise, especially given the increased scale and complexity of the new platforms. Training the workforce is seen as a key point in this restructuring process.
Local content remains a strategic and structuring factor for the national naval and offshore industry. Sinaval advocates not only its maintenance, but also the gradual increase in localization rates, provided that there is support for the development of domestic suppliers. However, the union recognizes limitations, such as the lack of domestic production of certain vital systems and components, which requires a balance in regulatory requirements so as not to derail projects.
In terms of global competitiveness, Brazil still faces significant obstacles. Despite the technical expertise acquired in previous cycles, the national naval sector is dealing with high production costs and a concentration of demand in a few international groups, which makes it difficult to enter into new contracts. In addition to technology and productivity, financial factors have come to play a central role in the viability of projects, which makes competition more challenging.
To reverse this scenario, public policies and industrial and financial incentives are considered essential. Measures involving the expansion of local content, specific credit lines and incentives for innovation are under discussion, with active participation from the government, companies and workers. “If there had not been a discontinuation of these constructions in Brazil, we would be in a much more favorable position today”, pointed out Rocha. Even so, he believes that the current environment of dialogue could be the beginning of a sustainable recovery of the Brazilian naval industry.