Brazil’s Port of Açu Eyes Data Centers, Agribusiness as Growth Strategy Diversifies Beyond Oil

Located in São João da Barra, in northern Rio de Janeiro state, the Port of Açu was initially built to ship iron ore extracted from a mine in Conceição do Mato Dentro, in Minas Gerais. Now, ten years after its inauguration, its growth strategy is heading in a very different direction.

One of these directions is not exactly what one would expect from a port: data centers.

“We’ve been in several discussions to attract clients from this market, which was not considered at all when the port was built and began operations ten years ago,” said Eugênio Figueiredo, CEO of Port of Açu and this week’s guest on the InfoMoney Interview program.

It wasn’t in the original plans – but why not? Since its inauguration, Açu – considered the largest private deepwater port and industrial complex in Latin America – has evolved to host a wide range of operations, including general cargo terminals, offshore support bases for the oil industry, and natural gas-fired power plants.

Originally conceived by entrepreneur Eike Batista, the complex is now owned by Prumo Logística, which is controlled by investment funds EIG and Mubadala, as well as the Port of Antwerp-Bruges International.

Figueiredo highlights that the port has nearly everything a data center needs to operate: it’s located away from urban clusters, has abundant water and self-generated energy, and lies just 40 km from an Embratel submarine fiber-optic cable station.

And it’s big – very big.

“It covers a total area of 130 square kilometers, of which 90 km² make up the industrial complex, where we have two types of operations: cargo handling at the port and land leasing for clients who want to set up factories or service bases,” the executive explains.

The installation of data centers falls into the second category. For months, the company’s leadership has been meeting with potential interested parties. These are not the major tech firms themselves, such as Microsoft or Amazon, but rather service providers within the tech ecosystem. These players are assessing the port’s conditions while negotiating contracts with their clients.

Diversification is also reaching agribusiness, a segment that has been gaining traction at the Port of Açu. Despite the lack of a railway connection, the port has attracted producers from the Central-West region, especially from Goiás and Minas Gerais, for the export of grains such as soy, corn, and coffee. Agricultural cargo movement, which began with fertilizer imports in 2020, is expected to triple in 2025, driven by cooperation agreements with state governments and studies for the construction of dedicated terminals.

Figueiredo emphasizes that the port’s privileged location, near the main oil-producing fields of the Santos and Espírito Santo basins, enabled the installation of the world’s most extensive offshore support base, with 16 berths for simultaneous vessel operations, surpassing the traditional hub of Macaé. Currently, about 40% of Brazil’s exported oil passes through Açu at some stage of the production chain.

Its strong ties to the oil sector are complemented by a growing focus on clean energy, with green hydrogen and sustainable fuel projects currently under development at the complex.

Source: InfoMoney

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