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BUSINESS AREAS

Inland Waterways

We ensure the most efficient connection between
industries and maritime ports through the inland waterway network.

35

fleet units

9.6

milions tons of bulk cargo

More than eight decades after Grupo ETE’s creation, the inland waterway transport stands as an example of a successful business vision with international reach. We are a reference in ship loading and unloading operations at ports or offshore, in coastal transport, and in supporting shipyards or maritime and port construction works.

  • At Grupo ETE, we are the largest Portuguese and Iberian operator in inland waterway transport, a true reference in specialised, diversified and integrated logistics solutions, ensuring a daily connection between land industries and maritime ports.
  • We prioritise sustainability and environmental preservation by adopting inland waterway transport instead of road transport, thus contributing to the reduction of carbon emissions and minimising environmental impact, with special emphasis on our operations on the Tagus River (in Portugal) and the Uruguay River (in Uruguay);

ETE Fluvial ensures the most efficient connections between industries and maritime ports, using the inland waterway network as the central axis of its operations. With a fully personalised approach, it develops solutions tailored to each client’s needs, offering a fully integrated, reliable and optimised service.

  • offshore loading and unloading;
  • inland waterway transport of containers and barges;
  • transhipment of cargo;

Our fleet and equipment – barges, barges, and floating cranes – allow us to reach hard-to-access locations, efficiently carrying out inland waterway operations.

  • 5 Barges, with a capacity of approximately 3,800 tonnes, specially prepared for bulk cargo transport, but also suitable for other types of cargo;
  • 9 barges with a cargo capacity of 2,500 tonnes each, suitable for general and containerised cargo;
  • 2 floating cranes: ideal for loading and unloading solid bulk or big bags, as well as for support operations and equipment assembly via maritime access. They have loading rates of 500 tonnes per hour and can use grabs, hooks, or other lifting devices;

Get to know our fleet in detail, here.

The versatility of operations and cost optimisation for our clients are our priorities.

Certifications

ETE FLUVIAL also holds various certifications that attest to the quality of its services:

  • Quality Management System– ISO 9001

ETE Colombia SAS is a 100% Colombian company, owned by the ETE Group, with extensive experience in river and port operations. It operates solidly and reliably on the Magdalena River, Canal del Dique, Cartagena, and other strategic ports in Colombia.

The company offers a variety of specialised services, such as the operation of loading, unloading, and handling various cargoes, at anchorages and on the Magdalena River.

Additionally, ETE Colombia SAS provides services:

  • river transport and towing;
  • support for port works, such as the maintenance of mooring buoys, the construction of public works, such as bridges, and the assembly of equipment at port terminals;

With a fully equipped and robust fleet consisting of a high-capacity floating crane, a tugboat, and a barge, ETE Colombia SAS effectively meets the logistical and operational needs of the region.

As a result of a continuous commitment to improving its value proposition, the ETE Group began operations in Uruguay in 2011 through Transfluvial, a company in which it holds shares jointly with the renowned Chilean Group, Ultramar.

Transfluvial operates on the Uruguay River and the Río de la Plata, supplying wood to one of the world’s largest and most well-known pulp mills – Montes del Plata, transporting approximately 2 million tonnes of logs annually. The transport is carried out by river, along the Uruguay River, from M’Bopicua to Punta Pereira, using 4 barges in a towboat and barge system, making an average of more than 350 trips per year.

These barges depart from the M’Bopicuá logistics terminal, located on the banks of the Uruguay River in Río Negro, and arrive directly at the port terminal in Punta Pereira, located in the Montes del Plata Industrial Complex.

Sustainability and Environmental Concern,
present in Transfluvial’s activities

By transporting wood by river, we significantly reduce CO2 emissions produced by road transport.

In numbers:

  • 4 barges on the Uruguay River = 20,000 tonnes of capacity = 170 fewer trucks on the road

On average, these 170 trucks we remove from the road would travel approximately 24 million kilometres per year.

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