Posted on March 22, 2023
São Paulo state, in partnership with the federal government, will invest 300mn reais (US$57mn) in the Tietê-Paraná waterway project.
Investments will be made in dredging works to improve navigability during dry seasons, the state government said in a press release.
The project will see 16km deepened by 3.5m in the Nova Avanhandava area.
In addition to improved navigability, the works will also allow for greater flexibility in the operation of the Três Irmãos and Ilha Solteira hydroelectric power plants.
A consortium formed by companies DP Barros, Brawu Ambiental and O’Martin will be responsible for the works, a state spokesperson told BNamericas.
Works will start in the next 30 days and are expected to be concluded in three years.
“With this project, we will guarantee the perpetuity of the waterway operation, which will be much more resilient to situations of drought,” said state governor Tarcísio de Freitas.
During 2014-21, navigation on the waterway was interrupted for 27 months due to low water levels.
Agricultural production is transported via Tietê-Paraná to the port of Santos, which is the country’s busiest.
With 30 terminals, the 2,400km waterway connects the states of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná, Minas Gerais, Goiás and São Paulo.
The dredging works had been planned by previous São Paulo governors. In 2014, the first tender for the works was held but legal challenges by multiple companies saw the project being assumed in 2017 by a consortium made up of Queiroz Galvão and Cetenco. Due to delays, the state decided to terminate the contract with the consortium in 2019.
