Hidrovias do Brasil and ICONIC
Ultra Group companies join forces to seek greater operational efficiency and reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) in waterway cargo transport. Tests begin this year.
ICONIC, an Ultra Group company and the country’s leading lubricant manufacturer, has signed a memorandum of understanding for the joint development of a new product for the Arco Norte and Operação Sul fleets of Hidrovias do Brasil, vessels that are essential for waterway cargo transport in Latin America.
The project includes the creation of a product with performance equivalent to or superior to the international reference standard, combining reverse engineering, technological advances, and field tests. ICONIC will be responsible for formulation and laboratory development, while Hidrovias will provide operational data and technical support for onboard testing. The first pusher in the fleet will be used in initial testing, still in 2025, with continuous monitoring until the first half of 2026.
The partnership reinforces the strategic importance of pushers — vessels that push convoys of loaded barges, often carrying soybeans, corn, fertilizers, and iron ore, enabling transport on rivers with low depths for navigation where traditional ships do not have access. This mode of transport is essential for Brazilian logistics, especially in the North region, ensuring competitiveness even in periods of drought.
Among the expected benefits are increased reliability and operational efficiency, reduction in total cost of ownership (TCO), extension of the useful life of the systems, up to a fivefold increase in environmental efficiency, and the possibility of expanding the solution to other naval markets.
For Alexandre Bassaneze, president of ICONIC, the initiative marks an important step in innovation in the sector: “This protocol reinforces our commitment to developing technological solutions that increase the efficiency and sustainability of navigation in the interior of Brazil. Working alongside Hidrovias do Brasil allows us to strengthen the Ultra Group’s ecosystem and apply our expertise in developing high-performance products
in an activity that is so strategic for national logistics, generating concrete benefits for the entire chain.”
For Mariana Yoshioka, director of Engineering and Innovation at Hidrovias do Brasil, the protocol is a natural step in the integration between the companies of the Ultra Group. “The quest to deliver the best logistics service to our customers involves constant innovation in our assets. And there is nothing better than investing in development with a ‘sister company’ like Iconic. Our goal is clear: to increase the efficiency of our pushers to serve our customers in all our operations. The positive impact of this partnership will benefit logistics in the Northern Arc and Southern Corridor,” says Mariana.
