Source: Ports and Ships / Danilo Oliveira
• The Naval and Offshore Equipment Sector Chamber of the Brazilian Machinery and Equipment Industry Association (CSENO/Abimaq) sees a favorable outlook for the naval industry in 2025. The assessment is that the market is booming in the offshore area, with new fields, the arrival of platforms and expansion of the fleet of oil tankers and maritime support vessels, through the Transpetro and Petrobras programs with orders for oil tankers, gas tankers and offshore vessels.
CSENO President Leandro Nunes Pinto (Anschuetz do Brasil) told Portos e Navios that suppliers are targeting the first four Handy-class vessels, whose contract has already been signed with Transpetro, and are monitoring the recently launched tenders for gas tankers and for clear product vessels, which are planned by the Petrobras subsidiary. In terms of demand for support vessels, projects are on the radar for the construction of 12 PSVs (for transporting supplies), 10 OSRVs (for combating oil spills), 8 RSVs (vessels equipped with robots) and 2 AHTS (for handling anchors that will operate for Petrobras.
The company intends to hire 44 vessels by 2026, including offshore support vessels and gas tankers, to enable service to the 10 new platforms planned by the company by 2029. Pinto argues that the sector should work together to also build more complex vessels, such as PLSVs (line launch vessels), as in the recent past, which has the potential to add value to the market.
The sector chamber of Abimaq, which currently has 142 members, sees that oil and gas sector projects still have a broad horizon for a few more years, considering the pre-salt fields and revitalized fields, in addition to the new exploration frontiers. “It is true that there is the energy transition in the middle of the road, but there is a 'long tail' to run the offshore market for a long time”, analyzed Pinto.
CSENO/Abimaq is looking at supply possibilities from oil exploration on the Equatorial Margin, once all regulatory issues have been resolved. “There is political pressure now for this. We need to prospect because this will make Brazil grow and, in tow, the entire naval industry,” he commented.
Suppliers see legal uncertainty and exchange rate disparities as the main risks to Brazilian industry. CSENO expects political action to combat these threats, as investors are concerned about the instability of the country's regulations, as well as the risk of exchange rate fluctuations, considering that a large part of the industry uses inputs indexed to dollars. Another challenge is training the workforce in technical sectors such as engineering.
Pinto believes that the working groups of the Ministry of Development, Industry and Commerce (MDIC), in which Abimaq and other sector entities participate, are managing to create a well-founded plan, listening to the demands of the main market players. "We see other associations participating in these discussions and converging to create a state policy for the recovery. It will depend on the government's commitment to meet the demands of these players. It is a well-founded plan, but it has to be continued," he predicted.
The sector chamber argues that, in order to be sustainable, the industry needs ongoing demands or programs that ensure the continuity of its activities. According to Pinto, CSENO has sought to establish closer contact with the main oil players and operators and has noticed greater interest in the products offered in Brazil. He believes that oil companies and companies responsible for chartering are aware that local content and support are essential.
“We recently strengthened this relationship with Yinson and SBM. We are doing this with other oil companies that are looking to have references from Abimaq in Rio de Janeiro, which has ties to the offshore equipment industry, as a catalog to implement this and maintain the life cycle of their assets. As local support for them, this search makes a lot of sense,” he emphasized.
There is an expectation of an expansion of defense projects in the coming years, including orders for patrol vessels and even new frigates. The industry has on its radar the possibility of two more frigates, 12 patrol vessels and an ocean support vessel. These projects, which the naval force has already publicly shown interest in at some events, however, have not been confirmed. The reason is that this prospect of renewing the fleet often comes up against the lack of budget for the Brazilian Navy.
The president of CSENO/Abimaq also drew attention to the increase in the volume of investments in inland navigation projects. He noted the expansion of companies that have set up offices to foster business to offer spare parts to the region. "There are a large number of players working on these opportunities in this segment. This logistics of grain handling on rivers and all this flow involves a waterway industry that needs no introduction," Pinto highlighted.