Minister eyes PPP for Port of Santos navigation channel in 2024

The concession of the navigation channel of the Port of Santos through a public-private partnership (PPP) is expected to be announced by the Federal Government in the second half of 2024, according to the Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho. He made this announcement on the 14th after the auction of port terminals on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (B3).

He mentioned that the PPP may include dredging the access channel, increasing the depth from the current 15 meters to 17 meters, and generating R$ 6 billion in investments.

Anderson Pomini, the president of the Santos Port Authority (APS), explained that the technical aspects will depend on the modeling. “Through this PPP, we can grant only dredging or, in the future, include services. Everything will depend on the economic, legal modeling, and, mainly, the experience being implemented in Paranaguá.”

On November 13, the National Waterway Transport Agency (Antaq) held a public hearing for the concession of the access channel of the Port of Paranaguá, the first of its kind in the country. Pomini added, “It will be a kind of laboratory that we will observe precisely to avoid making mistakes.”

Regarding dredging, the president of APS explained, “We have a current contract that will possibly be renewed, with a resolutive clause, while a PPP maintenance contract is being studied for a longer period, possibly up to 25 or 30 years, to provide predictability and cost-effectiveness. In other words, the current contract renewed, with a clause allowing its interruption when the PPP is formatted.”

STS 10 on Ilha de Bagres

Costa Filho also commented on the possibility of relocating STS10 to Ilha de Bagres by expanding the Organized Port of Santos polygon. “STS10 could be relocated to the area that will be part of the future expansion of the Port, which is Bagres.”

However, in the first semester of this year, Evolve Empreendimentos was authorized by the Ministry of Ports and Airports to install a Private Use Terminal (TUP) on Ilha de Bagres. The planned investments for Santos Sustainable Terminals (STS) are R$ 7.6 billion. The facility is expected to handle mainly containers and bulk solids and liquids.

The extract of the contract signed between the company and the Federal Government was published in the Official Gazette on May 9, and the announcement of the authorization for the TUP took place on June 27. According to the contract, the TUP will be installed on the island on the Left Bank of the Port of Santos, facing Largo de Santa Rita and Largo de Canéu.

Good Idea

The president of APS sees the inclusion of Ilha de Bagres in the polygon of the Organized Port as an appropriate initiative to meet the need for port expansion to accommodate new container terminals, liquid bulk, and general cargo, regardless of previous decisions.

“This expansion of the polygon also includes the Continental Area of São Vicente to include the waterway mode, in addition to other adjustments to be made in the polygon, aiming to deal with a fundamental theme, which is the expansion of port activities,” said Pomini.

Source: A Tribuna

Click here to read the original text in Portuguese: https://www.atribuna.com.br/noticias/portomar/ministro-quer-ppp-do-canal-de-navegacao-do-porto-de-santos-em-2024

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