Ceará state to modernize Mucuripe Port with BRL 50 mln budget

Lúcio Ferreira Gomes, president of Ceará State Docks Company (CDC), revealed that the company, majority-owned by the federal government, has R$50 million in cash flow. This amount will be used to implement a strategic plan that includes, increasing the depth of the Mucuripe Port’s basin. Last year, the port recorded a throughput of 4.5 million tonnes of cargo.

Lúcio Gomes noted that the Passenger Station at the Fortaleza port terminal is currently in poor condition but will undergo extensive renovations by the company that recently won the bid for its lease. This renovation is expected to begin in the coming weeks, coinciding with the start of the cruise season in October.

Addressing the farmers, some of whom are users of the Port of Mucuripe, Gomes shared several key updates:

To improve the work of the Federal Police, Federal Revenue, and Agricultural Inspection, CDC has increased the number of scanners from one to three. These scanners use X-rays to examine the contents of containers at Mucuripe.

CDC is inviting technology companies to develop a program to eliminate the frequent congestion of trucks at the port’s access gates and backport area.

The acquisition of 304 new surveillance cameras is in the bidding process to improve security across the Port of Fortaleza. The current cameras are more than 10 years old and use outdated technology.

The container terminal at Porto do Mucuripe is managed by the French company CMA Terminals under a transitional six-month contract. There have been many complaints from importers, exporters, and customs brokers about the current management.

A new and definitive contract for leasing the container terminal is under discussion. Gomes expects at least two companies to participate in the bidding, although it is likely that CMA Terminals will win again.

The winning bidder will be required to install 1,200 electrical sockets for refrigerated containers transporting fruit from Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, and the Petrolina-Juazeiro Fruit Hub. Currently, there are only 680 outlets, which is insufficient for the needs of fruit exporters.

In 2023, the Port of Mucuripe handled 4.54 million tons of goods, a 5.9% increase from 2022.

The following chart illustrates container exports registered at the Port of Mucuripe (in TEUs). The chart features data from DataLiner.

Container Exports at Fortaleza Port | Jan 2021 – May 2023 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Mucuripe is Brazil’s leading port for wheat handling. Last year, it handled 1.03 million tons of wheat, surpassing the 897.8 thousand tons handled at the Port of Santos, the largest port in Latin America.

CDC’s revenue in 2023 was R$126.6 million, with half coming from liquid bulk (mostly fuel), 25% from dry bulk (mainly wheat), 14% from general cargo, and the remainder from other cargo.

CDC’s profit last year was R$36.6 million, with this year’s profit estimated at R$5 million.

CDC is commissioning a study to conduct bathymetry across the entire Mucuripe Port basin to identify areas needing draft deepening.

The grain terminal at Porto do Mucuripe, operated by Tergran (a partnership of wheat mills M. Dias Branco, J. Macedo, and Jereissati), records high productivity thanks to investments in deepening the draft.

The cruise ship reception and assistance operation has not been profitable for CDC, leading to its transfer to the private sector. The company that won the recent tender will invest in restoring and modernizing the deteriorating Mucuripe Passenger Station.

Gomes also revealed that CDC has 63 permanent employees, of which 47 are already retired but still in service. The company is now hiring 37 more port guards to increase the current staff of 20 professionals.

Source: Diário do Nordeste

Click here to read the original news report: https://diariodonordeste.verdesmares.com.br/opiniao/colunistas/egidio-serpa/com-r-50-milhoes-no-caixa-docas-modernizara-o-mucuripe-1.3527366

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