The concession fee for the Santos 10 Container Terminal (Tecon Santos 10), located at the Saboó quay (STS10) in the Port of Santos, will go directly to the coffers of the Santos Port Authority (APS), the Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor) confirmed. This fee is the amount paid by the winning bidder to the government in exchange for leasing the area. The company that offers the highest bid will win the auction.
The draft notice does not set a minimum bid, which will depend on the offers made by competitors. However, A Tribuna reported that the figure is not expected to be less than R$1 billion.
According to the ministry, there will also be no predefined use for the funds. “The concession fee is allocated to the Port Authority, which has autonomy to carry out investments within the rules established by state-owned company governance standards,” the ministry said.
Asked what projects in the Port of Santos could receive the funds, APS declined to comment, stating that it would only speak on the Tecon Santos 10 concession after the Federal Audit Court (TCU) rules on the matter. The auction notice is awaiting TCU approval before the process can move forward.
Local impact
The City of Santos celebrated the fact that the fee will remain in the municipality, under APS management. “This ensures resources will be available to support planning and enable strategic improvements that boost the port’s competitiveness, consolidating it as a national hub,” the city said in a note, while stressing the funds remain federal.
The asset
Tecon Santos 10 will be the largest container terminal in South America. It will cover 621,900 square meters, with capacity for 3.25 million TEUs per year and 91,000 tonnes of general cargo.
Investments of R$6.45 billion are planned, with a 25-year contract starting in 2026. The auction is scheduled for December.
The project also includes the relocation of the Giusfredo Santini Passenger Terminal (Concais), currently at Outeirinhos, to Valongo. The future concessionaire will be required to build a platform for the new cruise terminal.
Check below a historical overview of long-haul container throughput at the Port of Santos starting from January 2022. The chart was prepared with DataLiner data:
Long-Haul Container Throughput at the Port of Santos | Jan 2022 to Jun 2025 | TEU
Source: DataLiner (Click here to request a demo)
Competition debate
Experts say auction rules will determine whether bids exceed expectations. The National Waterway Transport Agency (Antaq) has barred companies already operating container terminals in Santos from competing, a rule still under review by the TCU.
Consultant Rodrigo Paiva of Graf Infra Consulting noted that without restrictions, “competition tends to be stronger, with incumbents bringing financial and technical expertise that could drive higher concession fees.” With restrictions, he warned, “less competition means lower fees.”
Consultant Luis Claudio Montenegro agreed, stating that the whole competition yields higher bids and ensures that the best proposals are selected. He also argued that concession fee investments should be guided by the Port’s Development and Zoning Plan (PDZ), which he said “must be a State policy, not a government policy.”
Antaq defended the restriction as a means to attract new players, protect users from discrimination, and mitigate regulatory and antitrust risks at Santos.
Source: A Tribuna
