R$ 6 billion terminal in Santos still lacks a defined auction model

Private-sector investment in the terminal is estimated at R\$ 6.4 billion (Alexsander Ferraz/AT)

The auction model for the Santos 10 Container Terminal (Tecon Santos 10), located at the Saboó waterfront (STS10) in the Port of Santos, remains undefined four months after the Federal Government established a specific working group to speed up the completion of the project’s bidding framework. Considered the country’s largest port project, involving an estimated private investment of R\$ 6.4 billion, the asset is at the center of a deadlock within the public sector and faces pressure from private-sector stakeholders.

The Technical Working Group (GTT) was established in July 2026 by the Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor), together with the Special Secretariat of the Investment Partnerships Program (Seppi), under the Office of the Chief of Staff of the Presidency, with the aim of consolidating a joint technical position by the Federal Government on the model and auction rules for the mega-terminal. However, it has yet to produce any results.

The GTT was created to resolve disagreements that have been preventing the auction from moving forward within the federal government itself. While the National Waterway Transportation Agency (Antaq) and the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) advocate restrictions on participation in the bidding process, arguing that these are necessary to prevent market concentration, the Office of the Chief of Staff favors putting the project out to tender under conditions of broad competition.

Contacted since last Wednesday to provide information on the progress of the GTT's work and whether there is a deadline for completing and submitting its opinion, National Secretary of Ports Alex Sandro de Ávila did not respond to questions from the newspaper's Reporters.

On September 22, Ávila told A Tribuna that the GTT's analysis would be completed within that month and that the process would be forwarded to Antaq in October. However, on October 15, during his participation in the 2nd Mulheres a Bordo 2026 Meeting, held at the auditorium of the National Land Transport Agency (ANTT) in Brasília, the secretary stated: “We have not reached a conclusion yet. We are waiting for this working group to effectively complete its work so that we can move on to the next steps. The group is still carrying out its activities.”

At the time, given the slow progress toward completing the process, Ávila chose not to make any further predictions. “I cannot answer that. I will have to refrain from giving a specific date for its completion. We hope it will happen as soon as possible, but we still do not have the group's final conclusions”, he said.

The project Tecon Santos 10 was designed to occupy an area of 621,900 square meters (m²), with an annual handling capacity of 3.25 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) and general cargo.

The private-sector investment planned for the terminal amounts to R\$ 6.4 billion, and the proposed contract term is 25 years, with the possibility of an extension. The terminal is essential to expanding the Port's capacity.

Long-standing issue Nearly a year ago, in December 2025, the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) recommended that the Tecon Santos 10 auction be conducted in two stages. Under the proposed model, companies that already control container terminals in Santos, as well as shipping companies (shipowners), would be barred from participating in the first stage and could only enter a second round if no valid bid were submitted initially.