Posted on September 9, 2026
It is the formalization of the concession, which means the document transferring to the company the right to use the port area, in exchange for a set timeframe, commitment to invest, and a counterpart for the government.
R$ 1.3 billion at the port, and a concession that should not be confused with investment
The pulp terminal at the Port of Rio Grande is set to receive a total investment of R$ 1.3 billion.
A smaller number appears in the same report and often leads to confusion. There is a R$ 2.14 million concession for an area of 412,000 square meters, which is the fee paid for the right to use the land, not the construction cost.
Additionally, there are R$ 140 million allocated for dredging the port’s access channel.
Without dredging, the new terminal is not a solution
This R$ 140 million line often goes unnoticed, yet it is crucial for determining if the project will succeed.
Pulp ships depart loaded and with a deep draft. If the channel does not meet the required depth, the terminal exists, but the ship carries less cargo or waits for the tide, which increases the cost per ton.
Anyone working at a port knows that a new berth without a deep channel is only half a project.
Moreover, dredging is not a one-time job. The channel silts up, sediment returns, and maintenance becomes a recurring expense, which usually appears in the contract as a long-term obligation.
The terminal is part of a R$ 27 billion project
The contract being signed on Wednesday is part of the so-called Nature Project, which includes the construction of a new pulp mill in Barra do Ribeiro.
In total, the investments of the project exceed R$ 27 billion, making it the largest private investment ever announced in Rio Grande do Sul.
The logic is straightforward: the mill produces, the terminal exports. Without the latter, the former has no outlet to the sea.
