Plan foresees tripling the operations of the Port of Santos
DCI
In order to present the changes required for the market of cargo in Brazil, and focusing mainly on the port region of Santos, the studies of Accessibility and the Plan for Expansion of the Port of Santos were presented at the Terminal of Concais. Obtained using scientific methodology, refined researches and extensive detailing, the data featured in both works will allow scheduling with enough accuracy the paths of the Port in the next 15 years.
Personalities and experts in the market of navigation, transportation and logistics, including Minister Pedro Brito, of the Special Secretariat of Ports, and several authorities of the Government and of the port sector were present in the launching of the project. According to Brito, the Expansion Plan that foresees tripling the handling of loads within the next 15 years, characterizes the port setting in the three next five-year periods, taking into account the current moment, the main consolidated and feasible projects, covering markets of origin and destination, main commercial partners and the average Brazilian and world GDP, among other variables.
The result indicates an optimistic aspect, a handling of cargo of 230 million tons in 2024. Currently, the Port has the capacity to handle nearly 115 million tons and should end 2009 at nearly 82 million tons. The study was carried out by the Special Secretariat of Ports and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The forecast for 2024 also shows good marks in the handling of projects that are currently in progress.
Regarding the accessibility study, the conditions required for the access routes to the Port of Santos to be expanded to meet the growth for the handling of cargo were evaluated. It is a time for refining the submitted data, identifying the main bottlenecks. A decisive action will be the changing of the transport matrix, mainly for the short distance cargo, giving preference to the rail modal, to waterways (in the region of Baixada Santista), to conveyor belts and pipelines with the purpose of relieving road traffic as much as possible.
On the growth of the touristic cruises departing from the municipality, the Minister of Ports, Pedro Brito, said: "We will provide Santos with conditions to double the catering to passengers".