Port Terminal Auction to Boost Competitiveness at the Port of Rio de Janeiro, One of Brazil’s Oldest and Most Strategic Ports

The private operator awarded the concession will be required to invest in expanding and modernizing the terminal’s facilities and implementing technological upgrades to ensure greater operational efficiency.

Guanabara Bay, one of Rio de Janeiro’s most famous landmarks, is also home to one of Brazil’s most significant port infrastructures: the Port of Rio de Janeiro. Inaugurated on July 20, 1910, the port is one of the country’s most traditional and busiest hubs. Strategically located on the western coast of the bay, in the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro, the complex plays a crucial role in national maritime logistics, specializing in handling general cargo, containerized cargo, steel products, and bulk commodities.

See below a historical overview of cargo exports through the Port of Rio de Janeiro. The data is from DataLiner:

Exports via Port of Rio de Janeiro | Jan 2022 – Feb 2025 | WTMT

Fonte: DataLiner (clique aqui para solicitar uma demonstração) 

As part of the federal government’s agenda to modernize the port sector, the Port of Rio will host the auction for the RDJ11 terminal on April 30. The auction, organized by the Ministry of Ports and Airports in partnership with the National Agency for Waterway Transportation (Antaq), will take place at the B3 Stock Exchange in São Paulo. It is part of the first round of leasing projects in 2025, which will also include areas in the states of Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul. Altogether, the projects in this phase are expected to attract R$ 850 million in private investments.

The RDJ11 terminal, located in the Cais do Caju area within the port’s jurisdiction, covers a total area of 7,787 m² and is designated for the handling and storage of solid bulk—particularly zinc concentrate—and general cargo, especially steel products. The project foresees R$6.80 million in direct investments, with a 10-year concession contract under a simplified bidding model, in which the highest grant fee will determine the winner.

“By 2026, we plan to hold more than 42 port terminal auctions, with estimated investments of R$ 22.85 billion. These investments are not only about infrastructure modernization — they drive job creation, strengthen both public and private ports, and enhance Brazil’s strategic role on the global stage,” said the Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho.

The planned operational flow for the terminal includes road and rail reception, open yard storage, waterway shipping for general cargo, solid bulk, waterway reception, storage, and subsequent road or rail shipment. RDJ11 is classified as a brownfield project, meaning there are currently non-operational physical structures on the site, whose demolition is part of the new terminal’s development plan, signaling a complete area revitalization.

Currently managed by the state-owned company PortosRio, the terminal is part of the Federal Government’s strategy to enhance the nation’s logistics infrastructure, aiming to boost the port sector’s competitiveness and attract private investment. The redevelopment of RDJ11 has the potential to generate direct and indirect jobs, stimulate regional economic activity, and reinforce the Port of Rio de Janeiro’s role as a highly strategic logistics asset within Brazilian foreign trade.

Source: Informativo dos Portos

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