Brazil’s Lula eyes partnership with São Paulo governor for Santos-Guarujá tunnel

In a conciliatory tone with São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated, on February 2nd, that the Santos-Guarujá underwater tunnel will be built based on a state project of now-extinct Dersa. This announcement took place during the ceremony commemorating the 132nd anniversary of the Port of Santos at the headquarters of the Santos Port Authority (APS). However, the technical cooperation agreement was not signed at the time. The formalization was postponed by the Chief of Staff, Rui Costa, for tweaking legal, with no specified date for the signing.

Thanks to state logistics company Dersa, São Paulo State already possessed executive project blueprints and the environmental licensing for the tunnel construction. The estimated budget for the project is approximately R$6 billion, with costs to be evenly divided between the State and the Union.

Apart from the tunnel, Lula hinted at projects focused on renewable energy and green hydrogen production that could be realized in partnership with the State Government.

Prestige

APS President Anderson Pomini hosted other authorities at the event, including Vice President and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services, Geraldo Alckmin; Ministers of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho; Finance, Fernando Haddad; Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Márcio França; and the head of the Institutional Relations Secretariat (SRI) of the Presidency, Alexandre Padilha.

Pomini discussed investments of R$7 billion from the coffers of the Port of Santos itself, earmarked for improving port infrastructure. He also emphasized the strengthening of relations between the Union and São Paulo. “President Lula and Governor Tarcísio are focused on the next generations, not the next elections.”

Silvio Costa Filho praised Rui Costa’s management of the new PAC and the successful collaboration with the State Government for structuring works in São Paulo, particularly the underwater tunnel. “May we foster the right vision for the development of the Port of Santos, which is fundamentally important for Brazil’s development, considering that over 30% of the country’s export flow passes through our port.”

See below container exports and imports between Jan 2019 and Dec 2023. The data is from DataLiner.

Port of Santos | Exports & Imports | Jan 2019 – Dec 2023

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

The Ports Minister also mentioned the deepening dredging of the access channel to the Port of Santos from 15 to 17 meters. “It’s a long-standing dream that will increase the port’s depth to accommodate larger ships, boosting our competitiveness.”

Costa Filho also stated that the construction of the new Passenger Maritime Terminal is on the Federal Government’s radar.

Regional Benefits

Américo Ferreira Neto, Director of the São Paulo State Industries Center (Ciesp) – Cubatão Unit, attended the ceremony and commented on the cascading benefits the Santos-Guarujá immersed tunnel will bring to Cubatão. “By eliminating this bottleneck, urban mobility increases, subsequently enhancing competitiveness. The tunnel, for example, diverts tourists from the Cônego Domênico Rangoni Highway, allowing more traffic to the Port, and bringing benefits to the Industrial Pole of Cubatão, the largest in the State. It’s worth noting that the regulating yards are in Cubatão, bringing the mobility benefit to the truck circuit from the Plateau to the Coast and, naturally, to the Port of Santos.”

Tunnel to be 21 Meters Deep

The Santos-Guarujá immersed tunnel will be developed through a public-private partnership (PPP). The route will connect the Left Bank of the Port, on the Guarujá side, via Prainha, below the power line, to the Right Bank, near the Navy pier.

The tunnel will be 860 meters long, facilitating vehicle crossings in just two minutes, directly benefiting 78,000 people and indirectly benefiting 2 million. The dry connection will feature three lanes in each direction, in addition to integration with the Light Rail (VLT), a bike path, and pedestrian walkways.

According to the schedule planned by the Santos Port Authority (APS), the bid is expected to be launched in the second half of this year, with construction commencing in 2025 and completion by late 2028 or, at the latest, early 2029.

Project Phases

According to APS President Anderson Pomini, the construction of the tunnel comprises three phases. The first stage involves setting up the construction site in Guarujá, where the three precast panels, the walls of the tunnel, will be assembled. The second phase involves dredging, and the third and final phase involves the deepening and fixing of the panels, i.e., the implementation of the tunnel beneath the sea. “It’s the same immersion technique being used to connect Denmark to Germany.”

The President of APS added, “The roof of the tunnel will be 21 meters deep from the waterline.”

Source: A Tribuna

Click here to read the original text: https://www.atribuna.com.br/noticias/portomar/em-santos-lula-diz-querer-tunel-santos-guaruja-com-projeto-do-estado

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