Group studies new federal port auctions, plans terminals in Central-West region
09/12/2023
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Marcelo Bragança — Foto: Leo Pinheiro/Valor
Vibra Energia is targeting new projects to expand its logistics network. The company formerly known as BR Distribuidora is planning terminals in the Central-West region and analyzing liquid bulk auctions, the company’s Vice President Marcelo Bragança told Valor.
A month ago, the company won a bid to lease the port of Maceió (Alagoas), where it operates in partnership with other distributors. The new 25-year contract includes investments of at least R$20 million.
“It was a strategic asset. We were already operating in these areas, but with precarious contracts that didn’t allow us to make more structural investments. Now we’re going to regularize the situation and we’ll be able to expand the area and make improvements in safety and automation.” The goal is to increase the current capacity of 25,000 cubic meters by 25% to 30%. The supply of fuel, which is currently done by road, should now be done entirely by short-sea shipping, he said.
The group plans to continue its strategy of regularizing its precarious contracts at port terminals. The next target will be the lease of the liquid bulk terminal in the port of São Luís (Maranhão), which could be auctioned in 2024. “If this asset is auctioned, we will participate. It’s a terminal that we operate and we want to keep it.”
Asked about other tenders being prepared by the government, Mr. Bragança said the company will analyze projects in Paranaguá and Santos. “In Santos, the interest [in the possible auction of the STS 08 fuel terminal] will depend on the model. In the previous auction [in which there were no interested buyers], the company didn’t participate because it didn’t think the conditions made sense. But we’re going to evaluate it.”
Another of Vibra’s plans is to expand its logistics structure for agribusiness, with two terminals: one in Rondonópolis (Mato Grosso) and another in Dourados (Mato Grosso do Sul).
“We are looking at where Brazil is growing, which is in the Central-West [region],” he said. In the case of Mato Grosso, the idea is to link the terminal to the rail network operated by Rumo, which connects to São Paulo. In Mato Grosso do Sul, the company has an old base that was shut down decades ago and is now being restored, according to the executive. The projects do not have a calculated investment value.
Vibra spends between R$400 million and R$500 million a year on maintenance and solving hurdles in its logistics operations, said Mr. Bragança.
In recent years, Vibra has won other port projects, including a terminal in Belém, which should be completed this year, and a terminal in Santarém (Pará), which is being built from scratch and should be inaugurated in the first half of 2024 to serve the Northern Arc region.
In addition, Vibra was part of the consortium, along with Raízen and Ipiranga, that won three areas in the port of Cabedelo (Paraíba) and one in the port of Vitória (Espírito Santo) in an auction held in 2019. However, the victory is being analyzed by the antitrust watchdog CADE, which is investigating whether there was anti-competitive behavior in the formation of the consortium.
According to the executive, the investigation does not pose a risk to the business and should not prevent the planned investments. “We don’t see any risk. The auction notice went through [public spending watchdog] TCU, [waterways transportation regulator] ANTAQ, [National Petroleum Agency] ANP, and in this auction a consortium was allowed to be formed. We are very confident,” he said.
Construction of the new terminal in Vitória should begin at the end of 2023 and take about a year and a half, he said. “The plant will handle oil products and biofuels to meet the needs of Espírito Santo. It will be the main service terminal in the state.”
The new investments are expected to increase static capacity from 1.7 billion m3 to 2 billion m3 by mid-2025.
*Por Taís Hirata — São Paulo
Source: Valor International