Ministry of Ports and Airports maintains suspense over STS10

The minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho, continues to keep the suspense around what will be done with STS10, offering no concrete information about the strategic area at the Port of Santos. When questioned on Thursday (22nd) by A Tribuna , he merely stated that there should be a conclusive assessment of the area by the end of the year.

The terminal, which is originally intended for containers and located at the Cais do Saboó, is embroiled in controversies and disputes between port companies.

“We have never ruled out the possibility of developing STS10. Dialogue is always very important, and we have been listening to everyone”, said the minister during the inauguration on Thursday morning (22nd) of the overpass that connects the Margem Direita pulp complex at the Port of Santos to Avenida Governador Mário Covas Jr (perimetral road).

The indefinite stance is consistent with what Costa Filho has maintained for months, amid pressure from major port players both for and against a mega container terminal at STS10.

“We are developing two agendas. The first is how the flow of vehicles (to STS10) will be managed. Urban mobility must be prioritized in the project. The second point is the maritime passenger terminal because it makes no sense for a state like São Paulo, a city like Santos, to have a terminal like it does today”, he emphasized.

On Wednesday (21st), the minister participated in auctions for five port leases from other states at the São Paulo Stock Exchange (B3). In a statement after the auctions, Costa Filho made it clear that he intends to auction STS10 in 2025. On Thursday (22nd), the minister did not even confirm what he had said the day before.

Different discourses? Holding the auction next year would contradict what the President of the Santos Port Authority (APS), Anderson Pomini, recently stated. On August 1, he assured that it would be impossible to make STS10 viable before the construction of two overpasses in Alemoa.

These works, necessary to relieve access to the Port, are expected to be completed in four years. However, on Thursday (23), Pomini assured that the discourses may seem divergent but are not. He reiterated that STS10 will take time.

“Even if the auction happens next year, the operation will effectively occur in the next three or four years. It cannot be immediate. So, we can align the start of this new terminal’s operation with the construction of these overpasses”.

Ecoporto The situation with STS10 also involves the contract with the multipurpose terminal Ecoporto, operated by Ecorodovias, which occupies part of the space. The lease expired in 2023 and has been extended three times, with the last deadline being December this year. In a report by Valor Econômico, published on Wednesday (21st), the minister stated that “there is already a decision not to renew” with Ecoporto. When questioned by A Tribuna on Thursday (22nd), he was also evasive.

“Ecoporto has been and is very important for the Port of Santos. We are aware of the legal difficulties related to this process. We will discuss it next week with President Pomini. We need to consider our terminals and operators to seek the best possible outcome within a legal framework and, above all, considering the growth of the Port”.

The APS President explained that Ecoporto’s investment plan is under review. “It is a decision that must be made collectively by the entire port community and oversight bodies. In that location, it is possible that we will have a passenger terminal and another container handling terminal. With the presence of Ecoporto? That is the study we are conducting”, he says, aligning with Costa Filho’s perspective.

Should Ecoporto exit, the STS10 area is expected to host the new cruise terminal in Santos, with the remaining space potentially allocated to container handling companies, addressing the sector's request for increased capacity at the Santos quay.

The reporter contacted Ecoporto’s press office, but the company preferred not to comment on the matter.