Public hearing to discuss the concession of the Paraguay River Waterway in april

The Paraguay River Waterway in Mato Grosso do Sul will span 600 kilometers. Contributions are accepted until next Monday (Disclosure/Antaq)

The National Agency for Waterway Transport (Antaq) will hold an in-person public hearing in Corumbá, Mato Grosso do Sul, to discuss the improvement of the documents and the proposed model for the concession of the Paraguay River Waterway. The event will take place on April 17, at 10:00 AM. The venue has not yet been disclosed by the agency.

This will be the second public session on the topic, aiming to gather input from the local community. The first hearing, also in person, was held on February 6 at the Antaq headquarters in Brasília (DF).

“The Paraguay River Waterway concession project represents a historical milestone, as it is the first waterway concession in Brazil to be debated in a public hearing. The bidding process aims not only to increase logistical efficiency but also to reduce greenhouse gas emissions”, says Antaq.

Those interested in expressing their views during the hearing must register in person at the event location, whose address will be provided shortly, according to the agency. Registrations will open one hour before the session starts.

Contributions The complete documentation, including legal drafts related to Public Hearing 18/2024, is available at this link .

Contributions can be submitted until 11:59 PM next Monday, exclusively through the electronic form available on Antaq's website. Contributions sent by any other means will not be accepted.

It will be possible to attach digital images, such as maps, plans, and photos, exclusively via email to: anexo_audiencia182024@antaq.gov.br, with the contributor's identification and within the deadline specified in this notice. Sending attachments via email does not exempt the requirement to submit written contributions through the electronic form.

About the concession The Paraguay River Waterway, in Mato Grosso do Sul, spans the section between Corumbá and the mouth of the Apa River in Porto Murtinho, as well as the Tamengo Canal bed, in the Corumbá section. The total project length is 600 kilometers.

Investment The estimated direct investment for the first five years of the Paraguay River Waterway is R\$ 63.8 million. The concession's contractual term is 15 years, with the possibility of renewal for an additional period of the same length.

In the first five years, services will include dredging, rock removal, proper buoyage and signaling. Additionally, the project includes the construction of an industrial warehouse, acquisition of a dredger, hydrological monitoring, hydrographic surveys, improvements at crossings, and convoy breakdown points. The proposal also includes the implementation of waterway traffic management systems, such as Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) and River Information Service (RIS), along with river intelligence services.

These improvements are expected to ensure navigation safety and reliability, explains Antaq.

Low and free tariffs According to the proposed model, fees will only be charged for cargo movement once the concessionaire has delivered the services specified in the first phase of the contract. Regarding passenger transport and small cargo, no fees will be charged.

The pre-auction tariff is expected to be up to R\$ 1.27 per ton of cargo. The bidding criterion could be the lowest tariff, meaning this amount may still be reduced. However, there is the possibility of changing the bidding criteria during the public consultation.

The cargo transport capacity of the Paraguay River, after the concession, is estimated to range between 25 and 30 million tons starting in 2030, marking a significant increase in movement compared to the current level. Last year, the waterway transported 7.95 million tons of cargo, a 72.57% increase compared to 2022.

In 2023, waterways were responsible for transporting more than 157 million tons of cargo, nearly 10% of all waterborne transport that year.