Terminal puts waterways and ministry in conflict
Nov, 07, 2021 Posted by Ruth HollardWeek 202142
A new port terminal on the coast of Rio Grande do Norte which has already received more than R$130 million in investments and is ready to start operations is the subject of a fight between Hidrovias do Brasil and the Ministry of Infrastructure. The logistics company, which has the Pátria fund as one of its main shareholders, is especially active in the so-called Arco Norte, a new alternative for the flow of grains that minister Tarcísio Freitas is betting on to make freight cheaper and increase the country’s competitiveness.
The problem concerns a terminal specifically designed for the movement of sea salt on the Potiguar coast; the terminal concentrates 95% of national production. Today, due to a lack of appropriate infrastructure, just over half of what is produced is taken to consumer markets by truck. Shipping represents about 80% of the final price. If coastal shipping was increased, this cost could fall sharply.
To meet the demand, Hidrovias do Brasil presented a project on the coast of Macau (RN), which would have Salinor – the largest individual producer in the country – as a client. Named HB Sal, the project is for a floating installation (platform vessel that was adapted for this purpose) capable of handling 2.5 million tons/year in its first phase.
Most of the oceanic barges supplied with salt at the facility would travel southeast in an integrated operation by Hidrovias do Brasil. In 2019, the company purchased the STS 20 terminal at the Port of Santos, dedicated to the processing of solid bulk.
The company obtained authorizations from the Navy and IBAMA, in addition to a favorable opinion from the technical area of the National Waterway Transport Agency (ANTAQ), responsible for registering the project. The Ministry of Infrastructure and the regulatory agency’s collegiate board, however, barred the project after most of the payments had been made.
Source: Valor Econômico
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