Auctions at the Port of Santos to bring billions in investments

Área total do STS10 é de 601,9 mil metros quadrados e atrai desde já interesse das principais armadoras (Vanessa Rodrigues/AT)

The Ministry of Ports and Airports announced this Wednesday (27), in Brasília, a portfolio of 50 projects, including leases and concessions, scheduled for the next two years. These projects amount to R\$ 18.2 billion in investments. Five projects at the Port of Santos are included in this package, among them the auction for STS10 in 2025 and the concession of the access channel in 2026. The listed auctions will take place in 12 states hosting strategic ports for foreign trade.

To ensure these projects move forward, the Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho, stated that the Ministry is working jointly with the National Waterway Transport Agency (Antaq) and intends to establish a permanent working group with the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) to “accelerate this portfolio of investments in Brazil.”

Additionally, the Federal Government offers low-interest financing options through the Merchant Marine Fund (FMM) and the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES Finem), among others.

Another benefit includes tax incentives for private sector initiatives, such as exemption from income tax for investors in incentivized debentures, and exemptions from PIS/Pasep and Cofins taxes under the Special Infrastructure Development Incentive Regime (Reidi) and the Tax Regime for Incentives to Modernization and Expansion of Port Infrastructure (Reporto).

Costa Filho celebrated the port sector's results, noting an expected 6% growth by the end of the year and a more than 15% increase in container traffic in September. “There was also growth in exports and contracted investments”, he said.

Port of Santos One of the most expected auctions, the STS10 lease, is scheduled for the last quarter of 2025. The area, measuring 601,900 square meters, is already developed and located at the Saboó pier on the Right Bank of the Port of Santos. The terminal will be dedicated to container operations, with an estimated capacity of 2 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). The concession term will last 25 years, with an expected investment of R\$ 3.51 billion.

The STS08 auction will take place in the first quarter of next year. The 30,500-square-meter area will be leased for liquid bulk operations. The contract will last 25 years, with an investment of R\$ 491.5 million. The STS33 terminal will be auctioned in the second half of the year, also designated for liquid bulk operations, covering an area of 30,500 square meters. The contract will also span 25 years, with an investment of R\$ 491.5 million.

The STS53 auction is planned for the first quarter of 2026. This project involves leasing an area of 87,900 square meters for fertilizer handling. The concession will last 25 years, requiring a mandatory investment of R\$ 658.8 million.

In the same year, during the last quarter, the government plans to auction the concession for the Port of Santos navigation channel. This project is currently under study by the Santos Port Authority (APS).