Intermodal 2024: Norsul Participates in the Largest Logistics Fair in Latin America

Norsul, one of the largest Brazilian navigation and logistics integration companies, attended Intermodal South America, the largest logistics sector fair in Latin America, for the third consecutive year. At the event, the company presented the unique features of its fleet — including cement and chemical ships, as well as bulk carriers and ocean convoys — taking the opportunity to show visitors and business partners the essence of its business, which is cabotage.

“We are a company that moves cargoes at the core of the industry, so we are in a privileged position to understand what is happening in the market, analyze and respond quickly to support our clients in their growth. Currently, we see a heating up of the market, with several partners wanting to play the logistics game. Logistics has a lot to do with efficiency, technology, and process improvement, and Intermodal is a fair that allows all players in this chain to understand their options and opportunities to be better and more efficient,” said Fabiano Lorenzi, commercial director.

100% Interactive Content Showcase Designed Exclusively for Intermodal

Norsul made its presence felt with a modern, visual, and interactive 96m2 stand near the entrance of São Paulo Expo. The space welcomed clients, partners, and other logistics professionals, especially those in Brazilian cabotage, as well as students interested in the topic.

The space featured a content showcase that allowed the public to navigate through the vessels and their characteristics via touchscreen. Each type of ship had its own panel, enabling visitors to immerse themselves in their operations and the world of cabotage navigation, as well as gain a deeper understanding of the company’s services. To assist visitors, employees were present to share additional information and curiosities about the vessels and the company’s logistics solutions.

One of the main attractions of the stand was the display of a scaled-down model of the Pio Grande, a multipurpose ship built in 2012, loaded with wind turbine blades. The vessel removes about 715 trucks, each carrying approximately 42 tons, from the roads per trip. With a capacity of 30,000 tons distributed across five holds, the Pio Grande is equipped with four cranes, each with a capacity of 30 tons.

ABAC Panel at Intermodal Featured Norsul’s Commercial Director

Fabiano Lorenzi, Norsul’s commercial director, participated in the panel of the Brazilian Association of Cabotage Shipowners (ABAC) at the Intermodal Arena, a space for discussions on relevant topics in the transport and logistics sectors. Alongside the institution’s executive director, Luis Fernando Resano, Lorenzi spoke about the development of cabotage in Brazil, sector statistics, challenges, and advantages of the mode, contextualizing with the company’s scenario and trends for this year.

Among the topics addressed by the panel were high port costs, the low number of ports along the coast, and the difficulty of connecting with other modes, among other obstacles to Brazilian cabotage: “If we compare the volume of cargo transport across Brazil, 65% is transported by road and only 11% by cabotage, a figure confirmed by BNDES itself. So, we have two challenges: supply and working to be less of a transport service and more of a logistics solution for companies, with port-to-port delivery increasingly personalized according to customer needs.”

Also discussed were the use of alternative fuels in navigation, such as LNG, methanol, ethanol, and ammonia, as well as the challenges for adopting green technology in Brazil. “Today, 50% of ships ordered from shipyards have green fuel as an alternative. So, this concern already exists, and the fleet is being renewed, but it is a slow process,” commented Lorenzi.