Merchant Marine Fund to invest more than R$ 8 billion in 26 projects across Brazil

In São Francisco do Sul, the terminal will be used to handle steel products and fertilizers (Disclosure)

The Merchant Marine Fund (FMM) has granted priority status to R\$ 8.3 billion in financing for 26 projects in Brazil’s maritime and port sectors. The proposals were approved last week and are spread across nine states.

Three port infrastructure projects account for R\$ 4.28 billion of the portfolio. The largest allocation, amounting to R\$ 1.9 billion, is for the Mar Azul Terminal, located in Babitonga Bay, in São Francisco do Sul (SC), which will handle steel products and fertilizers. The project is expected to create 1,800 direct jobs.

The granting of priority status by the Board of Directors allows the projects to proceed to the financial institutions’ assessment stage. The execution of financing agreements and disbursement of funds depend on compliance with the conditions of each transaction.

The portfolio includes R\$ 1.26 billion for the project developed by the concessionaire responsible for the access channel to the Port of Paranaguá, in Paraná, with the potential to generate 250 direct jobs.

In Espírito Santo, the project for the terminal operated by Hanseatic Global Terminals Aracruz totals R\$ 1.12 billion and will handle containers and general cargo. The project is expected to create 243 direct jobs.

The approved proposals cover the states of Amazonas, Pará, Espírito Santo, Bahia, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Santa Catarina.

The portfolio also includes R\$ 383.1 million for the construction of five Ultratug Pulp-Logship vessels by Unes Navegação Brasil. The vessels will transport pulp and timber on Lagoa dos Patos, in Rio Grande do Sul, supporting the logistics of the region’s production chain.

As of September this year, the FMM had accumulated R\$ 115.4 billion in approved projects since 2023.