Santos Port Channel Concession Review Postponed by Antaq; Here’s Why

The National Waterway Transport Agency (Antaq) has postponed its deliberation on the opening of a public consultation and public hearing for the concession of the access channel to the Port of Santos, which had been scheduled for Wednesday (17). The item was removed from the agenda by Director Flávia Takafashi. As the rapporteur of the process, she decided to further examine the agency’s technical procurement department’s recommendations before reaching a decision. As a result, consideration of the matter has been postponed until 2026.

The opening of the public consultation is a regulatory step considered essential to allow the waterway channel concession model to be discussed with the market, port users, and society. The contributions received help support final adjustments to the project before it is submitted to the Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor) and the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU), which are necessary steps prior to launching the bidding process. The federal government had expected to move forward with this process by 2025.

The proposal for Santos differs from the model adopted at the Port of Paranaguá (PR), whose concession was held in October and approved on the 4th by the Ministry of Ports and Airports, making it the first access channel in the country to be concessioned to the private sector. The Paranaguá contract is expected to be signed in January.

The concession of the access channel to the Port of Santos provides that a company or consortium will assume responsibility, for an estimated period of 25 years or more, for the gradual deepening dredging of the channel—from its current 15 metres to 17 metres—as well as the permanent maintenance of that depth. Estimated investments exceed BRL 6 billion.

Source: A Tribuna