By PortalPortuario Editorial Staff
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho, announced an investment package totaling R$ 611.7 million to boost the shipbuilding industry and port infrastructure of Bahia. The event, held at the Enseada Shipyard in Maragogipe (BA), was attended by Governor Jerônimo Rodrigues, as well as ministers, parliamentarians, representatives from Petrobras and Caixa Econômica Federal, and business and union leaders.
With funds authorized by the Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor), through the Merchant Marine Fund (FMM), R$ 550.5 million will be allocated for the construction of 80 new vessels. The actions also include works in progress and new structural projects in the public ports of Salvador, Aratu-Candeias and Ilhéus, which add up to R$ 61.2 million in federal investments.
The Enseada Shipyard, which was inactive for about a decade, had its activities resumed with the support of resources from the Merchant Marine Fund. During the ceremony, President Lula emphasized that the reopening symbolizes a new moment for the shipbuilding sector and the return of job generation in the sector. “I am here to recover the Brazilian shipbuilding industry. This is the second time I have returned to the Presidency of the Republic to say that we need to resume this industry. This means giving back jobs, opportunities and hope to the working people,” he stated.
Minister Silvio Costa Filho reinforced that the initiatives are aligned with a national agenda for modernization and job creation. “The resumption of the shipbuilding industry is essential to generate jobs, strengthen our logistics and expand Brazil’s presence in maritime trade. What we are doing in Bahia shows that the state is once again taking a leading role in shipbuilding and regional development,” he stated.
The CEO of the Enseada Shipyard, Ricardo Ricardi, highlighted that the resumption of activities was only possible thanks to investments from the FMM. According to him, “the Ministry of Ports and Airports, through the Merchant Marine Fund, provides resources that are fundamental both for the construction and revitalization of shipyards and for the construction of new vessels. It is these investments that guarantee the viability of the projects and the continuity of the work,” he celebrated.
In addition to the new contributions, MPor is already executing three structural works in the ports of Bahia: recovery and structural reinforcement of the commercial pier of the Port of Salvador (R$ 117.7 million, with 55% completion), renovation of the paving of its back area (R$ 17.9 million, with 85% physical progress) and deepening dredging of the Port of Ilhéus (R$ 106 million, in the preparation phase).
The Ministry is also advancing in the partnership and concessions agenda, with emphasis on the auction of the Codeba Channel and Free Areas, which covers the organized ports of Salvador, Aratu-Candeias and Ilhéus and foresees R$ 1.7 billion in private investments. Two other terminals, in Salvador (SSD04) and Ilhéus (ILH01), are also in the project portfolio and are expected to be put out to bid in the coming months.
