Ultracargo
A Brazilian operator of storage and transshipment terminals for liquid bulk cargo.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Ultracargo is a Brazilian logistics and infrastructure company specializing in the storage, handling, and transshipment of liquid bulk materials. Its principal cargoes include chemicals, petrochemicals, biofuels, fuels, and vegetable oils. The company is described as Brazil's largest bulk-liquids storage operator and has built a network spanning the country's principal maritime gateways and an inland distribution center. The business traces its origins to 1966, when Transultra combined road transportation with chemical-storage activities. A second historical foundation came in 1978 with the creation of Tequimar Chemical Terminal at the Port of Aratu in Bahia. The two activities were subsequently brought together into a single logistics operation under the Ultracargo name. Over time, the company moved away from a broader logistics model and concentrated on liquid-bulk storage and terminal services. Ultracargo's network includes facilities at the Port of Santos in São Paulo, the Port of Rio de Janeiro, the Port of Paranaguá in Paraná, the Port of Aratu in Bahia, the Port of Itaqui in Maranhão, and the Port of Suape in Pernambuco. It also operates an inland terminal in Paulínia, São Paulo, an important center for the handling and distribution of fuels and chemical products. The company has been characterized as the only operator in its sector with a presence in all of Brazil's major ports, giving it a geographically broad position in national liquid-bulk logistics. Expansion has occurred through both construction and acquisitions. Ultracargo began building a major storage unit at Suape in 1986, opened its Paulínia terminal in 1999, and added an intermodal terminal at Santos in 2005. In 2008, the acquisition of União Terminais from Unipar Carbocloro substantially enlarged the business and strengthened its presence in Santos, Rio de Janeiro, and Paranaguá. The company later acquired additional capacity at Suape and purchased a terminal at Itaqui from Noble Group in 2012, extending its reach into a northern Brazilian fuel-supply corridor connected to railways serving Maranhão, Piauí, and Tocantins. In 2010, Ultra sold Ultracargo's in-house logistics, solid-bulk storage, and road-transport activities. This strategic decision clarified the company's role as a specialist liquid-bulk terminal operator. Subsequent investment focused on increasing capacity at its facilities, including expansions at Santos and Aratu. The company's infrastructure supports road, rail, and maritime interfaces, allowing customers in the chemical, energy, agricultural, and fuels sectors to move bulk liquids through Brazil's supply chain. Ultracargo's history also includes a serious operational incident. In April 2015, a fire affected six fuel tanks at its Santos terminal. The blaze continued for eight days before being extinguished; the available reference material reports no fatalities. The incident became the most prominent adverse event associated with the brand in the supplied sources. Despite that event, Ultracargo remains an active Ultra-group business focused on terminal infrastructure and bulk-liquid logistics in Brazil.
History
Ultracargo developed from two strands of Brazilian logistics infrastructure. Transultra began operations in 1966 with road transport and chemical storage. In 1978, Tequimar Chemical Terminal was established at the Port of Aratu in Bahia. The two operations were later consolidated and rebranded as Ultracargo, creating a business centered on industrial cargo handling and terminal services. The company expanded its physical network during the 1980s and 1990s. Construction of a 45,000-square-metre storage unit at the Suape terminal in Pernambuco began in 1986. This became one of the company's oldest facilities. Ultracargo's inland terminal at Paulínia, São Paulo, began operating in 1999, connecting the terminal network with a major Brazilian center for fuels and chemicals. In July 2005, Ultracargo opened a second intermodal terminal at Santos. The facility connected road, rail, and maritime transport and had reported capacity for chemical products, alcohol, and vegetable oils. The Santos investment reinforced the importance of the country's principal port to the company's operating model. A major structural change occurred in 2008, when Ultra acquired União Terminais, previously owned by Unipar Carbocloro. The acquisition substantially increased Ultracargo's size and strengthened its position in Santos while adding strategic exposure to Rio de Janeiro and Paranaguá. In December 2009, the company acquired an 83,000-cubic-metre terminal at Suape. In September 2011, it added a further 26,000 cubic metres of capacity at that location. Ultracargo also narrowed its business scope. In March 2010, Ultra sold the company's in-house logistics, solid-bulk storage, and road-transport operations. The move allowed Ultracargo to focus on liquid-bulk storage and related terminal services. During the same period, the company planned capacity increases across its network, with expansions later completed at Santos and Aratu. In July 2012, Ultracargo acquired Noble Group's terminal at the Port of Itaqui. The transaction added 55,000 cubic metres of capacity and gave the company access to a port with railway links into Maranhão, Piauí, and Tocantins. These states were described in the supplied reference as having fuel-consumption levels above the national average, making Itaqui strategically relevant to fuel distribution. The company's most serious recorded incident occurred in April 2015, when a fire affected six fuel tanks at its Santos terminal. The blaze took eight days to extinguish, although the supplied reference reports no fatalities. Ultracargo continues to operate as an Ultra-group company with a network covering Brazil's major ports and the inland Paulínia market. Its role is that of a specialized infrastructure provider rather than a consumer-facing fuel brand: it stores, handles, and transfers liquid bulk for industrial, energy, chemical, agricultural, and distribution customers.
- 2015
Santos terminal fire
[1]A fire affected six fuel tanks at Santos and took eight days to extinguish; the supplied reference reports no casualties.
- 2012
Itaqui terminal acquisition
[1]The purchase of Noble Group's Itaqui terminal added 55,000 cubic metres and extended the company's northern Brazilian footprint.
- 2011
Suape capacity expansion
[1]The Suape terminal gained an additional 26,000 cubic metres of storage capacity.
- 2010
Business focus narrows to liquid bulk
[1]Ultra sold Ultracargo's in-house logistics, solid-bulk storage, and road-transport activities so the company could concentrate on liquid-bulk storage.
- 2009
Suape terminal acquisition
[1]Ultracargo acquired an 83,000-cubic-metre storage terminal at Suape.
- 2008
União Terminais acquisition
[1]The acquisition from Unipar Carbocloro substantially increased Ultracargo's scale and port coverage.
- 2005
Second Santos intermodal terminal opens
[1]A terminal integrating road, rail, and maritime transport began operating at the Port of Santos.
- 1999
Paulínia terminal starts operations
[1]The company opened its inland terminal in Paulínia, São Paulo.
- 1986
Suape storage construction begins
[1]Ultracargo began construction of a 45,000-square-metre storage unit at Suape in Pernambuco.
- 1978
Tequimar Chemical Terminal is founded
[1]Tequimar established a chemical terminal at the Port of Aratu in Bahia.
Products and positioning
A nationwide Brazilian liquid-bulk terminal and logistics infrastructure specialist serving energy, chemical, petrochemical, biofuel, and agricultural-oil supply chains.
Terminal infrastructure
Liquid bulk storage
Storage infrastructure for liquid commodities and industrial materials, including chemicals, petrochemicals, fuels, biofuels, and vegetable oils. Facilities are positioned at major Brazilian ports and at Paulínia, allowing cargo to be held, transferred, and distributed through maritime, rail, and road connections.
Industrial logistics · 1966
Chemical and petrochemical terminal services
Specialized terminal handling and storage for chemical and petrochemical products. The service developed from the company's historical chemical-storage operations and is delivered through port terminals designed to connect industrial customers with domestic distribution networks.
Energy logistics
Fuel and biofuel terminal services
Storage and transfer services for fuels, alcohol, and biofuels. The Itaqui acquisition expanded the company's ability to serve northern Brazilian fuel flows, while its Santos, Suape, and other terminals support coastal and inland distribution.
Agricultural logistics · 2005
Vegetable-oil storage and handling
Bulk storage and handling for vegetable oils. Ultracargo's Santos intermodal terminal was reported to have dedicated capacity for vegetable oils, alongside chemical products and alcohol, linking the cargo to road, rail, and maritime transport.
Controversies
Brand decisions
2012
Acquisition of Noble Group's Itaqui terminalM&ABackground
Itaqui offered port and railway access to fuel markets in Maranhão, Piauí, and Tocantins.
Action taken
Ultracargo acquired a terminal from Noble Group at the Port of Itaqui.
Aftermath
The deal added 55,000 cubic metres of capacity and marked Ultracargo's entry into that northern Brazilian market.
2010
Concentration on liquid-bulk storageStrategyBackground
Ultracargo had operated across in-house logistics, solid-bulk storage, and road transportation in addition to liquid-bulk activities.
Action taken
Ultra sold the in-house logistics, solid-bulk storage, and road-transport operations, leaving Ultracargo focused on liquid-bulk storage and terminal services.
Aftermath
The divestment sharpened the company's specialist identity and was followed by plans to increase storage capacity across its facilities.
2008
Acquisition of União TerminaisM&ABackground
The transaction was intended to enlarge Ultracargo's terminal network and strengthen its presence in major Brazilian ports.
Action taken
Ultracargo acquired União Terminais from Unipar Carbocloro.
Aftermath
The acquisition doubled the approximate size of the business and expanded its position in Santos, Rio de Janeiro, and Paranaguá.
Sources1 sources
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