Megaterminal in Santos expected to generate over 3,000 jobs; project under discussion in Brasília

Entre os temas abordados no encontro desta terça-feira, estão os impactos que o futuro terminal pode provocar (Divulgação)

Guarantees for the local population and casual port workers regarding the future Tecon Santos 10 container megaterminal, which will be built at the Saboó quay, on the Right Bank of the Port of Santos.

This was the focus of a meeting held on Tuesday (20) in Brasília, attended by the Mayor of Santos, Rogério Santos (Republicanos), Federal Deputy Paulo Alexandre Barbosa (PSDB), Acting Director-General of the National Agency for Waterway Transportation (Antaq), Caio Farias, and the Executive Director of the Brazilian Infrastructure Institute (IBI), Mario Povia.

On Wednesday, the documentation for Tecon Santos 10 is under review by Antaq and will subsequently be submitted to the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) for validation of the process and authorization for the launch of the tender notice. The Federal Government expects to hold the auction in December.

Tecon Santos 10 is expected to generate 3,300 direct jobs and will occupy an area of 621,900 m² in Saboó. With a projected investment of R\$ 5.6 billion over 25 years, it will feature a 1.5-kilometer linear quay with four berths. At full capacity, it will handle 3.5 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), increasing the container handling capacity of the Port of Santos by 50%, which is expected to have significant logistical and urban impacts.

In a statement, Barbosa reported that the Joint Parliamentary Front for Ports and Airports (FPPA), which he chairs, has requested that the tender assign to the winning bidder the immediate responsibility for carrying out the construction work after the contract is signed, including the construction of the public quay.

“We will face a series of impacts, ranging from issues related to access to the Baixada region to the relocation of the Macuco Passenger Terminal to Valongo”, said the deputy, who advocates for “fair compensation for the City.”

The Mayor of Santos also stated that the objective is to ensure that the investments meet the interests of port workers, the local business community, and the general population. “We are following each step with the Federal Government, the State Government, and regulatory agencies to achieve the best outcome.”

Mario Povia noted that Tecon Santos 10, the new access route to the City, the third lane of the Imigrantes Highway, the Guarujá Airport, the Santos-Guarujá tunnel, and the relocation of the passenger terminal will bring about “a complete reconfiguration of the logistics cluster in the Baixada region.” Therefore, according to him, it is essential that these projects progress in a coordinated manner.