Port of Santos receives contributions for Alemoa terminal bid

A área do terminal tem 152,2 mil metros quadrados. Concessão será por 25 anos, até 2049, com investimento estimado em R\$ 491,5 milhões (Divulgação/APS)

The Santos Port Authority (APS) received ten contributions on Wednesday (6th) during the virtual public hearing with a public consultation on the lease of the STS08 terminal in Alemoa, Santos. Interested parties can submit suggestions until the 29th of this month. The port authority plans to send the bidding process document for the area to the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) in December, with the auction expected to take place in the first half of 2025.

With this lease, the port administration aims to expand liquid bulk operations, particularly for fuels, biofuels, ethanol, and other derivatives, at the Port of Santos.

APS President Anderson Pomini stated that the measure responds to increased demand for fuel in the Southeast, South, and part of the Central-West regions, as well as Bolivia, Paraguay, and Chile. According to him, it also represents increased market competition and openness.

The area is a brownfield site, already constructed, spanning 152,200 square meters (m²) with a static capacity of 149,900 cubic meters (m³) within the organized port. The concession will last for 25 years, from 2025 to 2049, with an estimated investment of R\$ 491.5 million. Operations are expected to begin in 2028.

The STS08 will have two main berths for loading and unloading, AL 01 and AL 02, and two auxiliary berths, AL 03 and AL 04. The proposed conceptual storage system includes 13 tanks with a total capacity of 142,900 m³, 12 inventory turns per year, a density of 0.89 tons/m³, a dynamic capacity of 1.5 million tons per year, four road stations for loading and unloading, operation 16 hours per day, and 1,700 tons by road transport.

Petrobras will continue to operate LPG at AL 01 and AL 02. At berth AL01, only STS08 and LPG operations (STS08A) are considered. During the first two years, from 2025 to 2027, the future lessee will need to set up the terminal, starting with fencing and security, fire-fighting systems, and demolition.

The next step will involve expanding static capacity by installing storage tanks with a capacity of 119,700 m³, totaling 142,900 m³ (23,200 m³ existing + 67,500 m³ + 52,300 m³), as well as new pipeline lines, including new access to berths AL 03 and AL 04, four new pump stations, two truck unloading stations, and two truck loading stations.

Finally, the new operator will need to invest in common areas within the organized port, including fire-fighting systems, new access (public gate and guardhouse), building and parking facilities, substation, and pipe rack (public gate).

Port administration aims to expand liquid bulk operations, particularly fuels Carlos Kopttike, president of the Brazilian Association of Liquid Terminals (ABTL), stated at the public hearing that it is essential to address critical bottlenecks in the region before auctioning another tank area. According to him, “the winning lessee of the auction may invest in increasing its capacity without providing improvements in infrastructure.”

“It is important to note that two private berths of STS08A will not be operational before 2030, and the operator will be using the remaining berths at AL01, 2, 3, and 4”, he pointed out.

Kopttike also mentioned that the port lacks adequate land infrastructure in that area. “The terminals need road infrastructure to create rail sidings, improve truck traffic, and transport liquid bulk, solid bulk, containers, pulp, and other cargo in the Alemoa region, which creates congestion and impacts the area.”

The public hearing was led by APS’s Director of Business Development and Regulation, Gustavo Pereira; Superintendents Bruno Tolino and Leandro Cabral; and Managers Maria Eduarda Ascariz and Rui Garcia. New contributions can be submitted via the APS website .

Suggestions The contributions received during the hearing highlighted the need for APS’s rigor in qualifying companies that will compete, emphasizing technical and safety aspects. Attention was also suggested to the economic and financial qualifications of companies and their proven experience in the sector.