Union and State of São Paulo try to expedite the Santos-Guarujá tunnel bid

Region of Outeirinhos and Macuco, in Santos, which will receive the Santos-Guarujá tunnel project, discussed for almost a hundred years in Baixada Santista (Vanessa Rodrigues/AT)

The auction of the immersed Santos-Guarujá tunnel was discussed in a meeting between the Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho, and Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicanos) in São Paulo last Monday. They examined ways to shorten the schedule and expedite the concession of the project to the private sector, but the Federal and State governments have not yet reached a consensus on the matter, as reported by A Tribuna.

This month, there were discrepancies regarding the deadlines for launching the bid notice. In an interview with A Tribuna, the State Secretary for Partnerships in Investments, Rafael Benini, expressed the intention to launch the bid notice in February. Days later, the Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor) announced that this step is expected to take place in June. Currently, the documentation is under review by the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU).

Hours before the meeting with the governor, Costa Filho posted a video on social media stating that he hopes to receive TCU authorization to put the project out to bid within three months. However, he extended the forecast for the launch of the bidding process even further. “We are working with the goal of possibly holding the auction for this R\$ 6 billion project, the largest project in the PAC, of the Federal Government, with the support of the State Government in the second half, possibly in August or September.”

Without detailing the outcomes of the meeting in the state capital, the minister mentioned that discussions included, besides the tunnel, “important agendas for the State and for Brazil,” such as the auction of terminal STS10, which is expected to increase container movement at the Port of Santos by 50%, investments at the Port of São Sebastião, in the North Coast, and strengthening regional aviation.

When contacted by the Reporter, the MPor did not respond by the time this edition went to press. The State Secretary for Partnerships in Investments (SPI), responsible for the tunnel project, only stated that “the Government of São Paulo is working together with the Federal Government to ensure that the bid notice for the immersed Santos-Guarujá tunnel is launched as soon as possible.”

Effort The president of the Port Authority of Santos (APS), Anderson Pomini, participated in the meeting in São Paulo and stated that the meeting showcased “the effort of both State and Federal governments and the Port of Santos to effectively bring this century-old project, important for Brazil and the Coast, to fruition. We are finding a way to expedite the publication of the bid notice. This was the main objective.”

Also present were the National Secretary of Ports and Waterway Transportation, Alex Ávila, and the Executive Secretary of Ports and Airports, Mariana Pescatori, among other authorities.

Cooperation Agreement The metropolitan dry connection has an expected investment of R\$ 6 billion, funded equally by the Federal and State governments, with additional funding from the private sector. The project will be auctioned as a public-private partnership (PPP), with the private concessionaire responsible for planning, constructing, operating, maintaining, and managing the crossing.

The partnership between the Union and the State was announced on February 2, 2024, at an event held at APS headquarters. The technical cooperation agreement (ACT) for the construction of the tunnel was signed two weeks later by the Federal Government, the Government of São Paulo, and APS. The agreement also involves approval from the National Agency for Waterway Transportation (Antaq) and the State Agency for Transportation of São Paulo (Artesp).

A work plan is part of the agreement, foreseeing the involvement of all parties, including the joint production of technical, economic, and environmental feasibility studies, and the provision of necessary financial resources to enable the project's viability. The MPor and the State held public hearings on the project with the participation of APS.