AAL Shipping has completed the loading of 13 newly built 2,900-ton mineral barges for LHG Mining aboard its 32,000 dwt Super B-Class vessel AAL Antwerp. The shipment represents the start of a major collaboration between Enseada Shipyard and Tenenge, both part of the Novonor Group, aimed at supporting the revival of Brazil’s shipbuilding industry and stimulating economic development in the state of Bahia.
Earlier this year, a ceremony at the Enseada Shipyard in Maragogipe marked the official delivery of the first barges constructed at the facility in nearly six years. The event brought together Bahia’s governor Jeronimo Rodrigues, senator Jacques Wagner and other senior state officials, highlighting the strategic importance of the programme for regional industry, logistics development and employment.
The 13 barges transported by AAL Antwerp will join LHG Mining’s fleet and operate along the Paraguay–Paraná waterway. With a maximum intake capacity of 3,200 tonnes, the vessels will transport iron ore from the company’s operations in Mato Grosso do Sul to its export terminal in Nueva Palmira.
Pablo Zengarini, international logistics specialist at LHG Mining, described the programme as a key logistics investment for the company. He noted that the safe transport of each barge is an essential step in increasing Brazil’s transport capacity. According to Zengarini, the project requires close coordination between shipyard construction, inland river logistics along the Paraguay–Paraná corridor and ocean transport to Uruguay, making reliable execution at every stage critical.
The reopening of Enseada Shipyard in 2025 has quickly restored the yard’s position as one of Brazil’s leading shipbuilding facilities. The project has already created around 600 direct jobs and up to 900 indirect jobs, providing significant economic stimulus for the Bahia region. In total, approximately 80 barges are scheduled to be built at the yard, with AAL’s Super B-Class fleet supporting their transportation over the coming year.
The shipment follows the first successful transport in the series completed in November 2025 by AAL Hamburg. According to Eugene Nutovych, senior chartering manager at AAL Americas, the sailings demonstrate the level of engineering and coordination required for complex industrial logistics projects while supporting Brazil’s growing shipbuilding activity and LHG Mining’s integrated river and ocean export chain.
