A new port on the banks of São Gonçalo possibly on the make

A new port on the banks of São Gonçalo Canal, in the municipality of Rio Grande, near Pelotas (RS), may come about in the next few years. Jerônimo Goergen, a federal representative from the region, initiated the conversation with a São Paulo-based company supposedly interested in the venture. The Congressman is also working with the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Resources (Ibama) to obtain the required permits to initiate the project.

The 137.5 hectares area marks the junction of the railway that crosses the region and the São Gonçalo canal, a few kilometers away from the Port of Pelotas. A local agribusiness entrepreneur purchased the land slot.

Geogen wants to build an export terminal that features vessels leaving São Gonçalo through Lagoa dos Patos sailing to the Atlantic Ocean. To do so, investments worth R$500 million for dredging deeper liming to allow the transit of larger vessels is being studied.

The deputy argues that private parties may be interested in financing via canal tolls, the dredging, and the new terminal, though people should not rule out government-subsidized funds.

Environmental standpoint 

The construction of a new terminal on flooded land on the banks of the canal is possible as long as the project is in accordance with environmental guidelines.

According to Celso Elias Corradi of the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), the current legislation allows for developing a port in the area as long as “remediation efforts” are carried out. Furthermore, the increased use of waterway transportation over road modals could also yield a favorable outcome in terms of the environment due to reduced truck traffic in the region.

Disagreement

Fernando Estima, the superintendent of Portos RS in charge of the administration of the Pelotas, Rio Grande, and Porto Alegre divisions, is opposed to the project. According to him, studies in the area have already ruled out the idea of a new terminal. “Engineers cannot funnel this channel with two concrete barriers; it would overflow during periods of severe rain, particularly inside Pelotas,” he explained.

He still considers it counterproductive to focus efforts on a new port, while the waterway between Rio Grande, Pelotas, and Porto Alegre still lacks structural improvements, such as nighttime signaling. In addition, the four-meter draft of the São Gonçalo waterway allows only small port vessels, making it more attractive for the market to take products directly to the Port of Rio Grande.

Binational integration

Gabrielito Menezes, a professor of Economics at UFPel, sees the increased utilization of the river from a more positive perspective. “In Brazil as a whole, we have a bottleneck in the transportation grid.” The country is heavily reliant on road transit, which is more expensive than water-bound transportation. Besides, a project like this could dynamize the economy by connecting Brazil and Uruguay through Lagoa Mirim”.

Source: Diario Popular

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https://www.diariopopular.com.br/politica/em-estudo-um-novo-porto-as-margens-do-sao-goncalo-168671/

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