Negotiation for bidding of the high-speed train heats up
O Estado S. Paulo
A little more than two months of the presentation of the bids for the high-speed train among Campinas, São Paulo and Rio, the negotiations heat up again among the companies. Although it is not sure that they will participate in the dispute, the builders are doing all the studies to analyze the feasibility of the project, of R$ 33 billion (US$ 19.4 billion). In addition, several conversations were initiated with potential partners, national and foreign.
"Everybody's looking for everybody", said a source who studies the undertaking. The most recurring contacts have been with the manufacturers of equipment existing in the world, as French, Spaniards and Canadians, who will transfer technology to Brazil. But there have been conversations with companies that were outside the process of the High-Speed Train (HST) until last year. For example, the group of 16 companies led by Public Works Contractors Association of the State of São Paulo (Apeop) is in contact with the Chinese CCCC (China Communications Construction Company). The conversation is being mediated by the Chinese ambassador in Brazil, Qiu Xiaoqi. CCCC owns a company that participates in consortia in Brazil in dredging of ports - one of them is the port of Santos. Besides these contacts, the president of Apeop, Luciano Amadio, says he has a meeting scheduled on the 9th at National Development Bank (BNDES) to discuss the conditions for financing the project.
Then, the Executive intends to speak to the Terrestrial Transportation National Agency (ANTT) - yet with no hearing scheduled. He explains that, unlike the first date for presentation of the bids, today it is already possible to know the main problems of the high-peed rail, as some errors in the course. In addition, the group already some budgets. "With these first data at hands, I see that there must be some project changes". This was also the claim of large builders, which until last year were not much interested in the HSR. "Today the situation has changed. The builders are more interested compared with the second half of last year. But it is still not possible to guarantee that they will participate", says a source.
So far, the only group to continue firm in dispute is the Korean consortium, which already has all the studies and strategies ready. There are even companies that manufacture equipment (Hyundai Rotem) looking for areas in Brazil to build a factory for high-speed rails, if the consortium won the race on April 29 - presentation of the bids is on the 11th and the bidding, on the 29th .
Behind the scenes, however, the information circulating is that the government was not very pleased with the participation of only one group at the bidding and was already moving to create a consortium to enter the dispute, as it was happened with the Hydroelectric of Belo Monte. There are also rumors that some of the largest builders of the country would be in talks to make a deal.