Approval of Access Channel Concession Draws Belgian Investors to the Port of Paranaguá

A Belgian delegation visited Portos do Paraná this Monday (28), expressing interest in bidding for the concession of the access channel to the Bay of Paranaguá. The project’s tender—unprecedented in Brazil—was approved by the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) last week.

Portos welcomed Belgian consuls and representatives from investment and dredging companies, including Paraná’s Secretary-General, Felipe Gama, Operations Director Gabriel Vieira, and Engineering and Maintenance Director Victor Kengo.

The ports of Paraná currently handle a high volume of exports to Belgian ports, particularly to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, with significant shipments of soybean meal and frozen animal proteins.

“Hosting them here is an opportunity to showcase how prepared we are to serve a country that plays such an important role in foreign trade, ensuring the competitiveness our clients seek,” stated Director Gabriel Vieira.

“We’re very pleased to welcome the consulate and the two largest Belgian dredging companies, which are potential bidders for operating our Access Channel, along with Dutch companies and other globally recognized firms,” said Secretary-General Felipe Gama.

Valentine Mangez, Consul General of Belgium in São Paulo, noted that she has followed Paraná’s economic development for several years. This was her first visit to the Port of Paranaguá, where she praised the port authority for its record productivity.

“The Port of Paranaguá is a very important partner for Belgium. The dynamics of the ports in Paraná, the logistics, the environmental concerns, and the infrastructure are all key issues for us,” emphasized Consul Mangez.

Belgium’s Honorary Consul in Paraná, Lucia Casillo Malucelli, also visited the Port of Paranaguá for the first time.

“We are here due to the significance of the Port of Paranaguá and to strengthen the exchange with the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium, one of the largest in Europe. Our expectations regarding the port’s capacity and exports were more than met during the presentation,” said Lucia.

Claudia Rolim, economic counselor at Flanders Investment & Trade—the trade promotion and investment attraction agency of the Flanders government in northern Belgium—highlighted the pursuit of new partnerships.

“We already have two dredging companies in Brazil interested in the Access Channel. We also aim to foster more business between Belgium and the Port of Paranaguá through the ports of Antwerp-Bruges and Ghent,” Claudia noted.

ACCESS CHANNEL—Last week, the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) authorized the tender for the Access Channel at the Port of Paranaguá. The project, developed by the Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor), will be the first in Brazil to grant concessions for maritime access and waterway infrastructure at public ports.

An estimated investment of R$ 1.23 billion is planned for the first five years following the contract signing and transfer of possession.

Cargo throughput at the ports of Paraná grew by 6.3% in the first quarter.

Planned actions include hydrographic studies and surveys, dredging, underwater rock removal (ferrocement), signaling, nautical marking, and the implementation of a vessel traffic monitoring and control system, among other measures to support the operation and maintenance of the access channel to the Port of Paranaguá.

The winning company will be responsible for various services, including dredging operations and environmental licensing, which Portos handles in Paraná.

At the end of the 25-year concession period, the operator must deliver the access channel with a minimum depth of 15.5 meters. Currently, the maximum draft at the ports of Paraná is 13.1 meters.

Source: Agência Estadual de Notícias do Paraná

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