2020 at a glance: ports and terminals

Despite the uncertainties in the economy due to the coronavirus pandemic which changed the daily lives of the entire planet, the year 2020 was positive for Brazilian ports and terminals, which, in general, registered excellent movements, mainly in the export of cargoes such as soy, sugar, and meat, motivated by the devalued real against the dollar. In contrast, imports, mainly of manufactured goods, fell for most of the year, recovering volumes slightly only in late 2020.

The year was also marked by auctions of areas in several ports and investments to receive larger and larger ships. Here are some points that had an impact on Brazilian ports in 2020, in chronological order:

Ministry of Infrastructure signs concession contract for the STS20 terminal, in the Port of Santos: In January, the concession contract for the STS20 terminal in the Port of Santos was signed with the Hidrovias do Brasil S / A consortium. During the 25 years of the contract, Hidrovias do Brasil S/A  will operate an area of ​​more than 29,000 m2 and three warehouses for the handling of fertilizers and salt.

Master Plan for public ports in Rio Grande do Sul approved: In January, the Ministry of Infrastructure published the final version of the Master Plans for the port complexes in Pelotas, Porto Alegre, and Rio Grande.

New Suape Port Development and Zoning Plan published: Prepared by the port authority, the document was approved by the Ministry of Infrastructure. In the PDZ, demand projections, capacity, and expansion calculations are forecast until 2035 in addition to a vision for the future after 2035.

Klabin signs a terminal exploration contract at the Port of Paranaguá: In February, the Minister of Infrastructure and the company Klabin signed a contract for the exploration of the PAR 01 container terminal, located in the Port of Paranaguá. The terminal was purchased by Klabin at an auction that took place in August 2019, under the Investment Partnerships Program (PPI). It will be used for handling and storing pulp and general cargo for a period of 25 years.

Bulk carrier stranded in the Port of São Francisco do Sul: In March, the bulk carrier Aeolian Grace (flying under the Cyprus flag) that had unloaded at the public port of São Francisco do Sul, in Santa Catarina and was then bound for Singapore with another 65,804 tons, ran aground on Laje da Barata, in the Babitonga Bay.

Rio Docks reactivates the Port of Itaguaí interconnection channel: Companhia Docas do Rio de Janeiro (CDRJ) reactivated the North Channel of Ilha das Cabras, in the Port of Itaguaí, with the objective of improving the waterway infrastructure and increasing the productivity and billing. The interconnection channel is 9.4 meters deep and has an operational draft of 8.9 meters. It is able to receive vessels up to 242 meters long and 32 meters wide.

Port of Vitória obtains customs clearance at the Atalaia Pier: The Brazilian internal revenue service released the customs request for the Atalaia Pier in the Port of Vitória, requested by CODESA. With this, the multipurpose pier increases the operational capacity of the Port of Vitória, as it now receives all types of cargo. The new wharf replaced two old dolphins, and gained 278.9m in length, sheltering Berth 207.

Porto de Natal obtains an environmental license: IDEMA, the Brazilian Institute for Sustainable and Environmental Development, issued the Operation Regularization License (LRO) for the Port of Natal, administered by Companhia Docas do Rio Grande do Norte (CODERN). The process of obtaining the license was initiated in 2011. Over the years, several studies, documents, technical analyses, and requests were carried out with the objective of making the issuance of the license viable.

Ministry of Infrastructure approves new polygonal for the Port of Santos: The Ministry of Infrastructure published Ordinance No. 77 that changes the jurisdictional limits of the port of Santos. The definition of the new polygonal updates the route in force since 2002 and adapts the organized port to the Ports Law 12,815 of 2013, which differentiates leased and private terminals precisely because of what is inside or outside the polygonal. In addition, it paves the way for the approval of the new Development and Zoning Plan (PDZ), which provides for the leasing of areas that until then were outside the jurisdiction of the Port Authority.

New bathymetry increases the operational capacity of the Port of Pecém: Portaria No. 21 / CPCE, issued by the Brazilian Navy, through the Captaincy of the Port of Ceará, defined the new maximum drafts for the operation of ships in the access channels and berths of the Port of Pecém. In the document, the operational drafts of 15.30 m were established for the new berths at the Pecém Multi-Use Terminal (TMUT): Berths 7, 8, and 9.

Ministry of Infrastructure approves new Port of Santos PDZ: In July, the new Development and Zoning Plan (PDZ) of the Port of Santos was approved by the Ministry of Infrastructure. Ordinance No. 1,620 was published in the Federal Register on July 29th and will make it possible to implement port modernization by strategically planning the occupation of public areas for the next 20 years. The implementation of the plan will increase the capacity of the Santos complex by approximately 50%, by 2040, reaching 240.6 million tons.

Operation Relíquia searches for abandoned cargo in Santos: The accident that occurred in the Port of Beirut in August raised concerns regarding the safety of operations involving dangerous goods in Brazilian ports. As a result, the Reliqua operation was launched in the Port of Santos by IBAMA (the Brazilian Institute for the environment and renewable natural resources), with the participation of SPA, ANTAQ (the national waterway transport agency, ANTT (the national land-transport agency), the Army, the Navy, the Brazilian Internal Revenue Service, and the city halls of Santos and Guarujá. The objective was to search for the existence of goods abandoned by importers and exporters at the terminals, which could pose risks, and to verify the conformity of operations involving dangerous goods. After a series of inspections carried out at all terminals, IBAMA concluded that the Port of Santos is safe and recognized as appropriate the practices adopted and the inspection work that SPA carries out aiming at operational safety.

New PDZ of the Port of Imbituba is approved: The Ministry of Infrastructure approved the new Development and Zoning Plan (PDZ) of the Port of Imbituba, in Santa Catarina. The document was ratified by ordinance and entered into force on the 10th of August. The PDZ provides a broad description of the current situation of the port and outlines its horizon until 2034, proposing a development path that changes between short-, medium-, and long-term scenarios.

Federal Government sanctions MP that modernizes the Ports Law: In August, the Federal Government sanctioned Provisional Measure 945/20, which alters the Ports Law, promoting a mini-reform in the legislation. The law also provides rules for the functioning of ports during the pandemic, especially concerning the dismissal and compensation of workers at risk or with symptoms of Covid-19. Among the main changes is the flexibility in the management of lease agreements.

Ministry of Infrastructure ends the activities of Companhia Docas do Maranhão: In September, Companhia Docas do Maranhão (CODOMAR) definitively ended its activities, after ten years without carrying out port-related activities. The act was announced at an extraordinary general meeting, which paid off the company, ending two years of a liquidation process.

Expansion of the pier increases the capacity of the Port of Paranaguá: In September, the expansion of the pier in the Port of Paranaguá was inaugurated. Berth 201 has been modernized and the berth has been extended by 100 meters. The investments of the public company Portos do Paraná total R$ 201.7 million and will increase the current cargo-handling capacity in that berth by 140%, in addition to allowing the Port of Paranaguá to receive larger ships that can hold up to 80 thousand tons of gross cargo, in the Post Panamax category.

Port of Vitória inaugurates new Atalaia Pier: In October, the new Atalaia Pier was inaugurated in Porto de Vitória. The forecast is that its berth operations will increase by 75%. The Atalaia multi-purpose terminal is located in Vila Velha, and will handle several types of cargo (liquid and solid bulk) such as wheat, malt, fertilizers, general cargo, and others.

Itaguaí now able to receive mega vessels with LOA of 367m: Companhia Docas do Rio de Janeiro (CDRJ) approved, with the Maritime Authority, the Normative Instrument of Operational Parameters nº 14.001.03 which establishes as a regular maneuver of the Sepetiba Tecon Terminal, in the Port of Itaguaí, container ships with LOA of 340m, a width of 50m, and a draft of 14.70m, which can reach 15.40m with the tide. In addition, as a special maneuver, the terminal is also able to receive mega-ships with LOA of 367 meters.

New draft approved at the Port of Rio Grande: After two years of dredging works with a federal investment of R$ 500 million, the Port of Rio can receive vessels up to 366 meters in length. In October, the new draft for the port was approved. Thanks to the removal of more than 16 million cubic meters of sediment, the operational draft of the so-called internal channel increased from 12.8 to 15 meters. The depth, which was 14.2, is now 16.5 meters. With this, the handling capacity begins to meet international navigation standards, and the port is able to receive vessels of up to 366 meters, a difference of 29 meters in relation to the previous capacity of 337 meters.

Port of Antonina will receive investments of almost R$ 160 million: The government of Paraná and Interbulk S.A signed a protocol of intentions that foresees the company’s adhesion to the state government’s tax benefits program. Private investment will be R$ 159.09 million. In return, Paraná will expand the movement of solid bulk (nitrogen fertilizers, phosphates, and potassium) through the Port of Antonina. The group intends to install a fertilizer-mixing unit in 2 phases, with a capacity to produce up to one million tons per year.

Pulp terminal concession contracts signed in the Port of Santos: In November, the Minister of Infrastructure, Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas, signed the contracts for pulp terminals auctioned in August (STS14 and STS14A) with Eldorado Brasil Celulose and Bracell Celulose. The leases yielded R$ 505 million in grants to the Federal Government under a 25-year contract. The terminals are expected to invest R$ 420 million – including railroad access – with another R$ 110.9 million in fixed leases to Santos Port Authority (SPA).

São Paulo government invests in Santos-Guarujá bridge project: The São Paulo government handed over to the Ministry of Infrastructure a new project for the billion-dollar bridge between Santos and Guarujá. There are significant changes in relation to the engineering studies released in 2019. The central span of the bridge, which was 400 meters long, has now been extended to a distance of 750 meters between its pillars. The investment would be totally private through an amendment to the concession contract of Ecovias, a company that manages the Anchieta-Imigrantes highway system. Originally, the contract was to expire in 2026. Minister Tarcísio Freitas has adopted a skeptical discourse about the viability of the bridge and has proposed the design of a submerged tunnel as the preferred alternative for the Santos-Guarujá dry link. Tarcísio’s concern is concerning possible damage to the maneuvers of large ships. The tunnel project, with a different location from the bridge (between the Macuco and Itapema neighborhoods), received the support of port terminal operators. They joined in a movement to defend the submerged connection of 1.7 kilometers and budgeted at R$ 3.5 billion, promoted using the “Vou de Túnel” campaign.

Port of Santos opens a public notice for 3 temporary contracts: In December, the Port of Santos opened a tender for three new transitional contracts. There will be three lots, which together add up to 101,300 m2: two in the Saboó region – areas that belonged to the companies Deicmar and Set Port – and one in Paquetá that was used by Suzano.

Ministry of Infrastructure receives a proposal that foresees an investment of R$ 3.6 billion for a new port in Natal: The project defends the construction of a terminal on the left bank of the Potengi River, in front of the current port, in addition to the construction of logistical corridors, a third bridge over the river, recovery of the degraded mangrove area, and other investments in logistics infrastructure – such as a railway line between the port, the airport, and the Export Processing Zone. Together, investments would total almost R$ 7 billion.

Public hearing approved for the privatization of CODESA: Through ANTAQ (the national waterway transport agency) on December 17th, the federal government approved the opening of the public consultation on the studies of the privatization project of the ports of Vitória and Barra do Riacho, managed by Companhia Docas do Espírito Santo (CODESA).

Auction of port terminals: On December 18, the Ministry of Infrastructure (MINFRA) raised a total of R$ 87.5 million in grants with the auction of four port terminals located in Alagoas, Bahia, and Paraná, which will attract more than R$ 400 million in investments. The auction winners were Timac Agro Indústria (MAC10), CS Brasil Transportes (ATU12 and ATU18), and Ascensus Gestão e Participações (PAR12).

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