Pedra de Ferro Offshore Port, Bahia, Brazil

Designing a new offshore port is complex, requiring a careful and holistic approach to ensure that all aspects of the development are given due regard during design development. This paper presents an overview of the design of the main elements of the Pedra de Ferro Offshore Port, a major new mineral export terminal in Brazil that is being developed for the export of iron ore. At maximum capacity, the throughput of iron ore from the Port will approach 40 million tonnes per annum, ranking the terminal within the current top ten bulk terminals in the Americas. As well as the numerous challenges faced during design development, such as the site's unfavourable ground conditions, this paper also discusses the design approaches adopted and the engineering solutions reached in successfully completing the basic and detailed design of the Port.