By Brazil Stock Guide – Petrobras Transporte SA, known as Transpetro, a wholly owned subsidiary of Petrobras (PETR4.SA), announced on Friday (7) a new international public tender for the construction of four medium-range (MR1) product tankers. The vessels, each with 40,000 deadweight tons (DWT), are part of the company’s ongoing fleet renewal and expansion program under the Petrobras 2025–2029 Business Plan.
According to the company, the four-vessel package will be offered as a single lot, allowing one winning bidder to build the entire series. The tender is open to both domestic and international shipyards that meet technical, legal, and financial criteria. Interested companies will have 90 days to submit proposals, and the first ship is expected to be delivered within 33 months after contract signing.
“The launch of our third international tender marks the fulfillment of a strategic goal for the Petrobras System,” Transpetro CEO Sérgio Bacci said in a statement. “By contracting all vessels planned in our current business plan, we advance the expansion of Transpetro’s own fleet and strengthen our role as a driver of Brazil’s shipbuilding industry, creating long-term demand for shipyards.”
Cleaner and more efficient fleet
The tender is the third under Transpetro’s current fleet modernization program and will bring the total to 16 vessels planned through 2029. Each MR1 tanker will incorporate new energy-efficiency features and be capable of operating on biofuels such as ethanol, aligning with the International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s decarbonization guidelines.
“These ships will be equipped to operate in electrified ports and fitted with advanced systems to cut their carbon footprint,” Transpetro said. “They are designed to be up to 20% more fuel-efficient and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 30%.”
Quarterly context and results
The announcement follows Petrobras’s third-quarter results, which showed net income of BRL 26.7 billion, up from BRL 25.3 billion a year earlier, driven by higher refining margins and steady output. Shipping costs accounted for a growing share of logistics expenses, prompting the parent company to accelerate fleet renewal through Transpetro.
Petrobras reported that its shipping arm transported more than 100 million cubic meters of oil and derivatives during the quarter, representing a 4% increase year-over-year, highlighting Transpetro’s role in optimizing logistics amid rising fuel exports.
During the post-results Q&A session, CFO Sérgio Caetano Leite noted that “modernizing Transpetro’s fleet is crucial to maintaining Petrobras’s cost competitiveness and meeting future environmental standards.” He added that the company’s new vessels “will be ready for dual-fuel operations and compatible with green port infrastructure.”
Leave a Reply