Port of Santos Set to Expand with an Area Equivalent to Nearly 600 Football Fields

The Port of Santos, Brazil’s largest port complex, is set to incorporate a new 6.2-million-square-meter (m²) area in the Continental Zone of São Vicente, near Humaitá. This expansion, equivalent to 574 football fields, is part of the port’s ongoing polygon expansion plan.

The area, a greenfield site, consists of untouched forest and is located between the Humaitá Residential Complex and the banks of the Santana River, near the Humaitá toll plaza at kilometer 280 of the Padre Manuel da Nóbrega Highway. The São Vicente City Hall has also allocated the historic Porto de Naus for the project. This 850,000 m² site, home to Brazil’s first customs wharf and a former sugar mill, is located near the Pênsil Bridge and is expected to facilitate new waterways access in the region.

Juliana Santana, São Vicente’s Secretary of Economic Development, highlighted the expansion’s potential economic benefits for the municipality. “Each company that sets up shop here can have a ripple effect—creating jobs for local workers and service providers while also spurring economic activity that benefits new businesses in sectors like maintenance, food services, and supply companies,” she noted.

The Port of Santos is already one of the most bustling ports in Latin America, and it may greatly benefit from projected expansions. The following chart uses DataLiner data to provide a general overview of container exports and imports registered at the Port of Santos between January 2021 and November 2024.

Expors and Impors at Port of Santos | Jan 2021 – Nov 2024 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Port of Santos Polygon Expansion

The expansion could eventually increase the Port of Santos’ total area to 20.4 million m² over the next 30 years, adding 12.6 million m² across land in Santos, São Vicente, Guarujá, and Cubatão. This would represent a 162.4% growth in the port’s polygon area.

A decree authorizing the incorporation of 15 new areas and the expansion is expected to be published in February. The announcement was made last month by Minister of Ports and Airports Silvio Costa Filho and the President of the Santos Port Authority (APS), Anderson Pomini, during an event at the Port of Santos administrative headquarters.

Source: A Tribuna

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