Port of Santos seeks expansion through incorporation of new areas

Currently, Brazil’s largest port asset covers 7.8 million square meters; the goal is to reach 20.4 million square meters by incorporating 15 new areas (Alexsander Ferraz/AT)

The Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor) is expected to define later this month, through the publication of an ordinance, a new layout to expand the Port of Santos area. This is the expectation of Anderson Pomini, president of the Santos Port Authority (APS).

“It’s possible that MPor will authorize all the areas we requested for the new polygonal zone or just a portion of them, at this initial stage”, said the APS president to A Tribuna .

Currently, Brazil’s largest port asset spans 7.8 million square meters (m²). The port authority aims to incorporate 15 areas located in Santos, São Vicente, Guarujá, and Cubatão, totaling 12.6 million m². If fully authorized, the Port of Santos will expand its polygonal area to 20.4 million m² over the next 30 years, representing an increase of 162.4%.

MPor has not yet set a date for the publication of the ordinance authorizing the expansion of the polygonal area. The Ministry states that it is awaiting final adjustments to documentation that were requested from APS.

“After receiving APS’s submission, the deadlines for completing the process will be redefined. The designation of the areas will be formalized through an ordinance”, the Ministry stated in a note.

The Santos Port Authority explained that after receiving and reviewing all documentation for the areas in the municipalities targeted for port expansion, the Ministry raised some questions regarding these zones. “APS will finalize these revisions and resubmit all the documentation to MPor, which will then make the final decision regarding the expansion of the polygonal area.”

According to Pomini, “All the required proceedings regarding this expansion of the polygonal area for the Port of Santos have been submitted to the National Secretariat of Ports. We are proposing the largest expansion in the history of the Port of Santos”, he emphasized.

“All the required proceedings regarding this expansion of the polygonal area for the Port of Santos have been submitted to the National Secretariat of Ports. We are proposing the largest expansion in the history of the Port of Santos,” stated Anderson Pomini, president of the Santos Port Authority (APS) (Vanessa Rodrigues/AT)

According to the Port president, public consultations were held for the inclusion of Vila dos Criadores, in Santos, as well as all the areas in São Vicente. Subsequently, MPor also conducted a public consultation, which remained online for 30 days to collect suggestions for adjustments. “So, we actually did more than the regulation requires”, said Pomini.

The public consultation opened by MPor concluded on May 22. “The National Secretariat of Ports has forwarded the contributions received during the consultation for participation in the technical review and preparation of the responses”, the Ministry reported.

Areas The most sought-after area in the Port’s expansion plan is Vila dos Criadores, located in Alemoa, Santos, covering 420,000 m². However, it is a contaminated site, previously used as a landfill, and currently occupied by about 5,000 people. Located near the Casqueiro River, on the border between Santos and Cubatão, the area is entangled in a legal dispute that has been ongoing for 23 years. A public hearing on this area was held in June 2024 at the APS headquarters.

In January of this year, the Municipality of São Vicente offered APS a greenfield area located in the Continental Zone, measuring 6.2 million m². This area is equivalent to 574 soccer fields and is situated between the Humaitá Residential Complex and the banks of the Santana River, near kilometer 280 of the Padre Manuel da Nóbrega Highway.

The Municipality also offered the Porto de Naus, a historic ruin located on an 850,000 m² site where Brazil’s first customs pier was built, followed by a sugar mill, near the Pênsil Bridge. The objective is to explore new waterway access routes in these regions.