Paranaguá will have R$1 billion in credit for new concession

Auction scheduled for August already has special financing conditions for mandatory investments in port infrastructure

The auction of the access channel to the Port of Paranaguá, in Paraná, scheduled for August at B3, in São Paulo, received an important incentive this Thursday (3). The Board of Directors of the Merchant Marine Fund (CDFMM) approved a project that guarantees R$ 1.089 billion in credit for the future concessionaire to make the investments required in the contract.

This will allow bidders to calculate, before the auction, the special financing conditions they will have access to in case of winning, which, according to the government, should increase the attractiveness of the auction. The request was made by the National Ports Secretariat, linked to the Ministry of Ports and Airports.

“The solution stimulates competition, because investors enter the auction knowing that they will be able to count on differentiated rates and terms,” assessed the National Secretary of Ports, Alex Ávila. He added that the model will be replicated in future concessions, such as those of the ports of Santos (SP), Itajaí (SC) and Bahia.

Approval of the funds does not oblige the concessionaire to use them, but it does enable quick access to financing. After the auction, it will be sufficient to present the detailed project and resubmit the request to the board.

The Paranaguá canal project is the first of its kind in Brazil and foresees an increase in draft from 13.5 to 15.5 meters, allowing the entry of larger ships and increasing the efficiency of port movement. Each additional centimeter in draft represents approximately 60 additional tons per ship. Currently, the port receives approximately 2,600 vessels per year, with an emphasis on solid bulk cargoes such as soybeans and animal protein.

In addition to the proposal for Paranaguá, the CDFMM approved 17 other projects totaling R$5.3 billion in investments. The largest of these, worth R$2.5 billion, is aimed at the construction of four RSV (ROV Support Vessel) maritime support vessels, designed for underwater operations.

Since 2023, the fund has prioritized almost R$70 billion in projects, a value three times greater than that recorded between 2019 and 2022. “This shows the importance that this government is giving to the recovery of the Brazilian naval industry”, said the Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho.