São Ricardo International Gateway

The São Ricardo International Gateway (SRIG) is a prominent port complex situated in the northeastern corner of the state of São Ricardo, within the borders of the state capital, Lua. Serving as a crucial hub for maritime trade and commerce, the SRIG is strategically located in North Lagoon, approximately 22 km northwest of downtown. As a department of the State of São Ricardo, the SRIG plays a pivotal role in supporting economic growth and employment opportunities, both locally and globally.

Employing a significant workforce of approximately 517,000 people in the Lua Region and 1.6 million worldwide, the SRIG serves as a major contributor to the region's economy. The port handles a substantial volume of cargo, representing around 20% of all cargo coming into Cartadania. This underscores the SRIG's significance as a key gateway for international trade, facilitating the movement of goods and resources across borders. São Ricardo's insularity and central positioning gives SRIG the power of distribution and role of central hub for logistics regarding maritime shipping.

In line with ensuring public safety and security, the SRIG has implemented various measures. These include the deployment of the São Ricardo Port Police, tasked with providing police services to the port and its local communities. The Lua Fire Department (LFD) is also actively involved in providing fire and emergency medical services to the port and its surrounding areas. Furthermore, the São Ricardo Marine Police plays a crucial role in safeguarding the waterways and ensuring security within the port. Additionally, Homeland Security is tasked with protecting federal land within the SRIG, further reinforcing its commitment to maintaining safety and security at the port.

History
The history of the São Ricardo International Gateway traces back to its origins as the Port of Fortuna, which was established in 1842. Initially serving as a regional port in the northeastern corner of Lua, the Port of Fortuna played a pivotal role in facilitating trade and commerce in the region. Over the years, the Port of Fortuna expanded its operations and infrastructure to meet the growing demand for maritime trade. With its strategic location on North Lagoon, approximately 22 kilometers (14 miles) northwest of downtown, the port's prominence grew steadily. It became a crucial gateway for both imports and exports, supporting economic growth in the Lua region and beyond.

As trade and shipping continued to evolve, the Port of Fortuna underwent significant transformations to keep up with the changing needs of the maritime industry. Modernization efforts were undertaken, including upgrades to port facilities, expansion of container handling capacities, and improvements in transportation connectivity through rail and road networks.

In 1997, the Port of Fortuna was rebranded as the São Ricardo International Gateway (SRIG), reflecting its increasing international significance and role as a key player in the global shipping industry. Today, the SRIG stands as a modern and bustling port complex, handling millions of TEUs of cargo annually, and supporting employment opportunities for hundreds of thousands of people in the Lua region and worldwide.

Shipping
The São Ricardo International Gateway (SRIG) boasts a significant container volume, reaching 37.1 million s (TEU) in the calendar year 2026. This remarkable achievement establishes the SRIG as the Occidental port with the highest cargo movement annually. Furthermore, the SRIG holds the distinction of being the busiest container port in Cartadania in terms of container volume, ranking as the third busiest container port worldwide. When combined with the neighboring Port of Aumiers, known as the Marée Terminals, the SRIG becomes the busiest port globally.

The SRIG also serves as the top freight gateway in Cartadania when ranked by the value of shipments passing through it, underscoring its economic significance in facilitating international trade. Notably, the SRIG is one of four Cartadanian ports certified to handle cargo ships over 18,000 TEU, with the others being the Palm Coast International Terminals, Clairmonte Marine Terminals, and the Port of Santarém. The most-imported types of goods through the SRIG in the calendar year 2029 were furniture, automobile parts, apparel, electronic products, and plastics, indicating the diverse range of cargo that passes through the port. The SRIG is well-connected by the Odoneru Harbor and Lagoon Line (OHLL) railroad, which facilitates efficient transportation of goods to and from the port. Intermodal railroad cars from the OHLL can be transferred to cargo rail cars heading across the country or loaded onto smaller ships for transportation to smaller-scale ports as needed, showcasing the SRIG's multimodal transportation capabilities.

In recognition of the changing trends in container ship sizes, the São Ricardo Port Authority and the Department of Commerce undertook a significant project in 2009 to deepen the port's main navigational channel to 18 m. This dredging effort was aimed at accommodating the draft of the world's largest container ships, including the O'Shea Globalstock and the future O'Shea Triple E class size, which require cranes reaching 23 rows. This initiative reflects the SRIG's commitment to staying at the forefront of maritime infrastructure development and maintaining its competitive edge in the global shipping industry.