Antaq wants to keep two shipowners from participating in container terminal bidding in Santos

The bidding process of STS10, the new container terminal at the Port of Santos (SP), will not allow shipowners Maersk and MSC and their subsidiaries to set up a consortium to enter the tender. This proposal was presented by Antaq (National Waterway Transportation Agency) and will be taken to a public evaluation in the coming weeks.

For all effects, the proposed restriction will prevent one of the three large container operators at the port, BTP (Brasil Terminal Portuário), from entering the competition. BTP is a partnership between TiL (Terminal Investment Limited), controlled by the shipowner MSC, and APM Terminais, from Maersk. The other two large container terminals in Santos, Santos Brasil and DP World, are not run by shipowners.

According to the proposal, which will be presented to the public on March 8 and will be open for contributions until April 21, the two companies will not be barred from entering the dispute if they do it by themselves or consort with other companies.

The STS10 will occupy an area of 601 thousand square meters in the Saboó region, which currently holds small terminals and vacant zones. BTP is a neighbor of this area. STS10 will be the 4th largest container terminal in the port, which is the most important in the country for this type of cargo, with estimated handling of 2 million TEUs per year (in 2021, all terminals in the port of Santos handled 4.8 million). The investment estimate is around R$ 3.3 billion for a 25-year contract.

Insufficient restrictions

Company representatives considered the restriction provided for in STS10 was deemed insufficient by company representatives indicating that the process will face many administrative and even judicial challenges.

On the other hand, TiL’s investment director, Patrício Júnior, complained about how the restriction affected BTP and recalled that competitors did not suffer any restriction. According to him, the companies TiL and APM Terminais had decided to enter the dispute separately. Restrictions should be imposed later, when necessary, and not before the dispute for these companies.

The Ministry of Infrastructure’s Secretary of Ports and Waterway Transport, Diogo Piloni, and ANTAQ’s General Director, Eduardo Nery, both reminded the public that the STS10 proposal is still under public consultation and can be changed based on the contributions received.

Operators will pay for each container handled

According to the proposal that Antaq will submit to public consultation, the winner of the dispute for STS10 will pay the port authority of the port of Santos (SP) a fixed lease amount of R$ 6.2 million, in addition to R$ 54.55 for each container handled.

The grant amount, which has yet to be determined, will be divided into 25% of the total at contract signing and six annual installments. According to the study, the project’s estimated rate of return is 9.8% per year.

The national secretary of Ports and Waterway Transport, Diogo Piloni, says that the movement of containers in Santos is essential for the country and that it is reaching dangerous limits. According to him, container handling is growing above the estimated (15% more in tonnes in 2021), with more demand, especially from agribusiness.

“This terminal is of crucial importance for Brazil,” defends Piloni, noting that investments will prepare it to receive large ships of between 366 meters and 400 meters in the coming years.

Source: Agência INFRA

To read the full original article, access:

https://www.agenciainfra.com/blog/governo-decide-impor-restricao-a-dois-armadores-em-licitacao-de-terminal-de-conteiner-em-santos/

Sharing is caring!