New IEP Port to be inaugurated in Brazil’s Santa Catarina

The state of Santa Catarina, known In Brazil for having five active ports, is set to welcome a new addition to its port infrastructure. The new port, named IEP after the company Imbituba Empreendimentos & Participações, will be situated next to the Port of Imbituba in the same bay. The project, with an estimated budget of R$600 million, is licensed and is slated to commence in 2024.

Entrepreneur Roberto Villa Real, who leads the project, states that the first terminal, with a 440-meter dock, will handle bulk cargo. In a second phase, it may also operate with containers, general cargo, and more. When operations begin, it is expected to generate 400 jobs, both directly and indirectly.

The area owned by IEP covers 275,000 square meters, including 1,500 meters of dock, which could accommodate two more terminals in the future. The first dock can handle two ships simultaneously.

According to Roberto Villa Real, the company obtained authorization from the National Waterway Transportation Agency (Antaq) in 2007, which was renewed in 2017 with an indefinite deadline for the project’s installation. It also holds the environmental installation license (IMA), and the installation license is in the process of renewal with the institution.

The main obstacle preventing the start of construction is the illegal occupation of part of the land by approximately 200 residences. The company is pursuing legal action to regain possession of the land.

Another portion of the land is occupied by fishermen’s huts under a loan agreement. Still, this issue has already been resolved by designating another area for these units with a new contract. Once the future port area is vacated, construction work can begin, expected to last around two to three years.

Asked about the competition with so many ports in Santa Catarina, the entrepreneur points out that the future port will focus on cargo produced southwards to the port and bulk shipments.

“Except for the Port of Imbituba, which is our neighbor, all the others are above Florianópolis. This means that we will seek more grain cargo from Rio Grande do Sul and the state’s southern region. And if you think about it, today in the public port (of Imbituba), the largest movements pertain to grains. And when we talk about grains, we also mean imports of fertilizers,” explains the entrepreneur.

He also highlights that currently, ships have to wait up to 8 days to dock at the Port of Imbituba. This raises costs because a stationary ship has daily expenses. According to the businessman, looking ahead, when operations with containers begin, the new port could handle refrigerated cargo of animal protein produced in the southern part of the state.

Source: NSC Total

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