Brazilian energy firm Petrobras and its logistics arm Transpetro have announced orders for several new vessels as part of a fleet expansion plan that includes a boost to bunkering operations.

Both companies have signed contracts for five gas carriers, 18 barges and 18 pushboats with a total investment of R$ 2.8 billion ($570 million), Petrobras said in a press release on Monday.

The barge and pushboat orders were placed by Transpetro and mark the company’s entry into inland navigation, enabling the vertical integration of its bunkering operations.

“The new business model will enable the vertical integration of bunkering operations, allowing Transpetro to have its own fleet for refueling in strategic hubs such as Belém (PA), Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Santos (SP), Paranaguá (PR), and Rio Grande (RS),” Petrobras said.

The barges will be built by Bertolini Construcao Naval da Amazonia in Manaus, while the pushboats will be constructed by Indústria Naval Catarinense in Navegantes, Santa Catarina.

The contracts were signed this week in Rio Grande at an event attended by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.