Braskem, always seeking excellence in production and efficiency upon delivery to the clients, has just inaugurated in Brazilian waters the new fleet of ships for transporting liquids. There are four ships that will exclusively serve Braskem.  Two of these ships are new, which guarantees even more quality, efficiency and security in cargo transportation. Just in ships for transporting liquids, such as EDC and Caustic Soda, among other petrochemicals manufactured in the industrial units, the aggregated capacity reaches 125 thousand tons of cargo capacity per month.

After a negotiation which lasted over two years, Braskem and Elcano signed a long term contract which guarantees the maritime cargo transportation service. Elcano has extensive experience in transportation and naval construction around the world. This agreement took into consideration the need to enlarge the capacity of rotation, allowing for the transportation of a superior volume with higher speed of transposition and in the seaport operations of loading and unloading. Besides this, the partnership had focus on the elevation of the security level in the transportation of liquid petrochemical products and in fitting the maritime modal to Braskem’s permanent objectives connected to excellence in service rendering and improvement of competitiveness.

"With this fleet, Braskem will have important competitive gains upon joining greater operational control, more security for the cargo and for the environment, more speed and agility. This represents a significant differential of efficiency and cost reduction. The Braskem new fleet can be considered a reference in Brazil", says Isabel Figueiredo, director responsible for Braskem’s Supplies and Logistic.

Of the seven ships that Braskem uses on the Brazilian coast to transport its products, three are for gases and four for liquids.  The ships designated to liquids recently arrived in Brazil, being dedicated exclusively to serve Braskem’s demand in cabotage. They are: Castillo de Herrera, with capacity for 14 thousand tons of cargo; Castillo de Maceda, also 14 thousand tons; Castillo de Placencia, 12 thousand tons; and Castillo de Zafra, 10 thousand tons. Castillo de Herrera and Castillo de Maceda are the first new ships to operate in Brazil after a period of 22 years without any new investments in assets of this size in the Brazilian merchant marine for the cabotage of liquids, which contributes to enlarging the quality and trustworthiness in cargo transportation in the country.  By 2012, the ships Castillo de Zafra and Castillo de Placencia will be substituted by two new ones built in a Brazilian shipyard by Elcano, reducing the average age of the fleet from five to two. 

"Logistics is the crucial part in the petrochemical chain. With a newer, more modern fleet, prepared and qualified, the productive chain becomes more agile, the clients are served in an even more efficient manner and we obtain an important competitive differential in the market, besides offering full conditions for new business", explains Isabel. "It is an important investment, since the maritime means of transportation concentrates 60% of liquid petrochemical transportation and 38% of gas transportation at Braskem", she completes.

As an example of this modernity in the transportation of petrochemicals are Castillo de Maceda and its twin, Castillo de Herrera. The ships were projected to serve Braskem’s needs and can transport, besides the company’s liquid products, isoprene gas, which is an important differential. There is, also, a pollution control system and mechanisms for energy and fuel use reduction. A double hull and an internal residue absorption system reinforce the safety against possible leakages.  They are state-of-art ships, fit to operate at any port in the world with much efficiency and safety.