Paraguay River waterway concession set for 2027

Brazil’s Ministry of Ports and Airports has revised the timeline for the concession of the Paraguay River waterway and now expects the auction to take place in the first half of 2027. Under the schedule presented in January this year, the bidding process had been expected to occur in the second half of 2026.

The updated timetable was presented on Thursday (21) by Otto Burlier, national secretary for waterways and navigation at the ministry, during an event marking two years of the National Secretariat for Waterways and Navigation.

Ports and Airports Minister Tomé Franca said the ministry will continue working toward publishing the concession tender notice later this year, but opted for what he described as a more “realistic” timeline. According to him, the early stages of the concession of a new transport mode require additional time for consultations, including dialogue with social movements.

Frederico Dias, director-general of Brazil’s National Waterway Transportation Agency (Antaq), explained that the project is currently under review by the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU). At the same time, Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia are negotiating an agreement on governance rules for the project.

Burlier said the government is optimistic about reaching a draft agreement with Paraguay and Bolivia in June regarding the concession framework. The goal is for the terms to be approved by the legislatures of the three countries in the second half of the year, in parallel with the resumption of proceedings at the TCU.

Minister Franca stressed that each country operates under a different regulatory model and said the negotiations aim to establish consensus on how the concession will be governed throughout the contract period. “We are making good progress. Most of the navigable stretch lies within Brazilian territory, and therefore it is natural for regulation to fall under Antaq’s authority,” he said.

Despite the government’s decision earlier this year to revoke the decree that had included waterways in the National Privatization Program (PND), following protests from Indigenous groups, the administration kept the projects in its concessions portfolio.

Planned projects include concessions for the Madeira, Tocantins and Tapajós river waterways in northern Brazil, as well as the so-called “Green Waterway,” which is also under study. Those auctions are likewise expected to take place in the first half of 2027.

Franca said there had been no “setback” in relation to the technical studies for the projects, which he said continue to advance. According to the minister, the Investment Partnerships Program (PPI) will formally structure the process at the appropriate stage.

Burlier said the ministry has been working alongside the regulatory agency to advance the agenda, which is undergoing a process of maturation and public outreach aimed at demonstrating that concessions can deliver benefits beyond logistics, including improvements for riverside communities. According to him, the concessions are expected to generate social, logistical and environmental gains.

MoveInfra’s CEO Ronei Glanzmann announced that the organization will launch a technical study of Brazil’s inland waterway sector aimed at identifying bottlenecks, mapping investment opportunities and helping develop a strategic agenda for the sector nationwide.

Source: Valor International

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