Latin America’s energy landscape is changing fast – and with it, the opportunities and challenges for project logistics.

In this episode of Voices of Breakbulk Americas, Luke King sits down with Renata Malina Pfeffer, Regional Director of New Energy Sector, Latin America at DHL Global Forwarding, to explore where the next wave of project cargo is coming from, and what it takes to move it.

São Paulo-based Renata has spent two decades in project logistics and has watched the Latin American market evolve from one dominated by oil & gas and major capital projects into a much broader and increasingly mature market. Today, wind, solar, battery energy storage, data centres, green hydrogen and biofuels are all creating new logistics requirements across the region.

We discuss:

• Why data centres are becoming a major driver of new energy investment, particularly in northeast Brazil
• The rapid growth of BESS – and the regulatory, safety, warehousing and shipping challenges that come with increasingly complex battery cargo
• Brazil’s project cargo resurgence, including booming transformer exports to North America and infrastructure bottlenecks around its major ports
• Where the next opportunities are emerging, from Chile’s advanced battery storage market to new energy investment in Mexico
• China’s growing role in Latin American infrastructure and energy projects
• Nearshoring, tariffs and changing trade patterns – and what they could mean for Latin American manufacturers
• Women in project logistics, and Renata’s experience building a career in a traditionally male-dominated industry

Brazil is a particularly fascinating part of the story. Transformer manufacturers are carrying major orderbooks driven by North American demand, while extraordinary volumes of specialised cargo are putting pressure on ports, roads and infrastructure.

🎥 Recorded in Rotterdam, Netherlands

👉 Connect with Renata on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renata-malina-pfeffer-7465301/

Hosted by Luke King and produced by Prospect Communications, a specialist PR consultancy for the project cargo sector. For all business enquires relating to the podcast, email Luke@prospectcomms.co.uk and visit https://www.projectcargopros.com/

About Breakbulk

Breakbulk organises the world’s largest events for project cargo and breakbulk logistics, bringing together cargo owners, EPCs, carriers, forwarders and ports from across the global supply chain. With flagship events held annually in Dubai, Rotterdam, Houston and Singapore, Breakbulk serves as a key meeting point for networking, deal-making and industry insight.

👉 Visit https://breakbulk.com to find out more about upcoming events and registration.

About Our Series Sponsor: Rhenus Project Logistics Global

Rhenus delivers turnkey solutions for complex industrial and infrastructure projects worldwide, combining in-house engineering with multi-modal transport and its own asset base. 👉 Visit https://www.rhenus.group/uk/en/project-logistics/

00:00 Introduction

00:32 Meet Renata From DHL

00:59 Career In Project Logistics

01:54 LATAM Market Evolution

02:48 Defining New Energy

03:34 Data Centres Drive Growth

04:43 DHL 2030 Ambitions

06:20 End To End Supply Chains

09:11 Battery Storage Challenges

11:07 China Investment And Trade

12:07 Brazil Investment Outlook

13:22 Green Hydrogen Reality Check

14:11 Manufacturing And Transformers

15:06 Why Everyone Targets Brazil

15:44 Ports Roads And Rail Limits

16:53 Breakbulk And Women Network

19:33 Life In Sao Paulo

20:56 Looking Ahead to Breakbulk Americas

21:24 Our Series Sponsor: Rhenus