Brazil's Ministry of Ports delays Southern Aquaviary auction

Brazil's Minister of Ports and Airports, Tomé Franca, has admitted that the government's goal to hold an auction for the Integrated Southern and Lagoa Mirim Aquaviary System by November 2026 is unlikely to be met.

The project involves the concession of services to the private sector for the Lagoa dos Patos waterway, the access channel to the Port of Rio Grande, and Lagoa Mirim. The concession aims to cover dredging, nautical signaling, monitoring, and infrastructure maintenance to improve navigation safety and cargo transport competitiveness in Rio Grande do Sul.

Franca noted that several formal stages remain, including specific public hearings, review by the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU), and a mandatory 45-day market evaluation period. If successful, this would represent the first waterway concession of its kind in Brazil, as other major projects, such as the Paraguay River waterway, remain stalled due to diplomatic negotiations.