President of the Port of Santos opposes restrictions in auction of megaterminal valued at R$ 6.45 billion

The president of the Santos Port Authority (APS), Anderson Pomini, advocates for broad participation of bidders in the auction of the Santos Container Terminal (Tecon) Santos 10, including shipping lines and operators with active contracts at the Port of Santos. In his view, the more bidders there are, the higher the concession fee (paid by the winner) will be for the port complex.

Below is a historical overview of cargo throughput from Santos Port. The chart was prepared using DataLiner data:

Cargo Throughput from Santos Port | Jan 2022 – May 2025 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

The bidding notice drafted by the National Waterway Transportation Agency (Antaq) stipulates that container operators with contracts at the Santos pier may only participate in the concession of the mega terminal in a second round, should the first auction receive no bids.

If this second round occurs and an operator already active in the Port of Santos wins, they would still be required to terminate their current contract. The draft of the bidding notice is currently under review by the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU).

“For the Port, it is important to have participation because the greater the number of contenders seeking this concession, the higher the concession fee and the greater the potential revenue for the Port of Santos,” says Pomini.

“We have to think about the interest of the Port of Santos, regardless of the current rules. The more players involved in this auction, the better,” says Anderson Pomini, president of APS.

Pomini estimates that if the auction proceeds with restrictions, the concession fees will range between R$1.5 billion and R$2 billion. With broad competition, the amount could exceed R$ 3 billion. “This terminal is strategic for any operator. If we’re talking about R$ 3 billion for these companies, that’s a fair price. I believe that if it were already decided that this competition would be open, I would start at R$ 3 billion.”

“We have to think about the interest of the Port of Santos, regardless of the rules in place. The more players participating in this auction, the better it is for us,” he emphasized.

However, Pomini stressed that he would respect the TCU’s decision if it aligns with Antaq’s. “We will respect whatever the decision is, but having ten participants instead of two or three is better. The more competition, the better for the Port.”

Unlike the APS president, the Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor) supports Antaq’s position on restricting participation, arguing that the measure is necessary to prevent market concentration.

Project
Tecon Santos 10 will occupy 621,900 square meters (m²) on the Saboó dock (STS10). It will have an annual capacity of 3.25 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), in addition to 91,000 tons of general cargo. The investment is valued at R$ 6.45 billion. The contract term will be 25 years, starting in 2026 and ending in 2050.

Source: A Tribuna

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