El Niño: VNA Activates Contingency Plan and Mobilizes Equipment in Response to Climate Phenomenon – Trade News | 27/10/26

Vía Navegable Argentina (VNA), the concessionaire responsible for maintaining Argentina’s Main Waterway, has activated a contingency plan in response to rising water levels and flows in the Paraná River since mid-October 2026, amid growing attention to the evolution of the El Niño climate phenomenon. The company warned that flooding increases currents and carries vegetation downstream, potentially affecting navigation signaling systems, while the subsequent decline in water levels may cause significant sediment accumulation, particularly in strategic areas such as the Emilio Mitre Channel, reducing available navigation depths. VNA currently operates five dredgers, including four trailing suction hopper dredgers —Pinta, Nina, Taccola and De Bougainville— and one water injection dredger, Giovanni Venturi. To strengthen its operational capacity, the company has begun mobilizing equipment from different parts of the world, including the Francisco di Giorgio dredger, sailing from Singapore and expected to arrive by late November, and the Ibn Battuta cutter dredger, being prepared in Croatia for deployment in mid-December. Additionally, the company plans to incorporate the Alvar Nuñez Cabeça de Vaca and/or Diogo Cão dredger in early January 2027, depending on operational requirements and evolving hydrological conditions. VNA General Manager Tom Van Slambrouck stated that the situation presents challenges beyond those originally anticipated under the concession. Through these measures, the company aims to expand maintenance and dredging operations, prepare sedimentation basins in the Emilio Mitre Channel and preserve the depths required to ensure safe, efficient and uninterrupted navigation, supporting Argentina’s connectivity and competitiveness. Link to Article