AAL Ships Mineral Barges for LHG Mining in Brazil

By Simon West

AAL Shipping has completed the loading of 13 newly built mineral barges at Brazil’s Enseada Shipyard in northeast Bahia state, marking the start of a wider logistics program supporting LHG Mining.

The 2,900-ton barges were loaded onto the 32,000-dwt Super B-Class AAL Antwerp and will form part of LHG Mining’s river fleet serving iron ore exports.

Boasting a maximum intake of 3,200 tonnes apiece, the barges will operate along the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway, transporting iron ore from the company’s mining operations in Mato Grosso do Sul state to its export terminal at Nueva Palmira.

“This program is a strategic logistics investment for LHG Mining, and the safe shipment of each barge is a critical step in bringing new transport capacity to Brazil,” said Pablo Zengarini, international logistics specialist at LHG Mining. “The coordination required across shipyard operations, river logistics on the Paraguay-Paraná waterway and ocean transport to Nueva Palmira is substantial, and the reliable execution at each stage is essential.”

Around 80 barges are scheduled to be built at the Enseada Shipyard as part of the program, which is backed by companies within the Novonor Group. AAL said its Super B-Class fleet will support the ocean transport phase of the project over the coming year.

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