São Sebastião enters the cargo dispute
Valor Econômico - 11/09/2007
The State of São Paulo has started the process to insert the port of São Sebastião as a link of a logistics chain that serves its Northern region and part of its neighboring States, such as Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso do Sul. For such, it created the "Companhia Docas de São Sebastião" (São Sebastião Docks Company), a society with specific purpose, meeting a delegation agreement entered into with the Federal Government. The new Docas, which leaves the administrative sphere of the Dersa - a state company that manages the roads and sea crossings - wants to make the port, currently operating at an idleness of 50% and minimum monthly loss of R$ 300 thousand (US$ 170 thousand), an institution that will help the regional and local economies and achieve financial balance. The establishment of the new company is equivalent to the birth of a new port in the State, with the proposal of "credibility, businesses, and operational simplicity", as summarizes its first president, Frederico Bussinger, who is leaving the Transport Secretariat of the state capital. The goal for the next 12 months is doubling the historical activity to around 500 thousand annual tons, basically with the "renovation" of the port, which practically operates in a berth of 150 meters, with investments of R$ 6 million (US$ 3.5 million). In the mid and long terms there are projects for at least four other mooring sites, with the advance of 380 meters, through a bridge, into the São Sebastião canal (that separates the continent from the island that gives the name to the bridge, headquartes of the municipality of Ilha Bela), with estimated investments of R$ 100 million (US$ 57.7 million). The focuses will be yards for vehicles and containers. The depth in the place will be 16 meters due to the privileged natural conditions, since the canal has its sand removed by the sea current, which will qualify the port to operate large size ships. The width of 550 meters and the water depth that reaches 25 meters justify the existence, next to it, of Petrobras' largest maritime terminal, the Tebar, of its exclusive use.