The Port of Rotterdam Authority is a partner in the rapidly growing Brazilian port of Pecém since December 2018
This involvement opens up opportunities for international trade flows and investments from Europe. Pecém’s strategic location gives it the potential to become the logistical and industrial hub of Northeast Brazil.
The port of Pecém is located about fifty kilometers from Fortaleza, the capital city of the state of Ceará. The state of Ceara is located in the northeast of Brazil and more than three times larger than the Netherlands. In 2018, the port of Pecém handled 17 million tons of cargo. It has expanded by an average of 26% annually over the past ten years. Due to the growth of the national and international economy and related market demand, Pecém can expect to increase throughput to 45 million tons in 2030
The port of Pecém
The port of Pecém was built in 2001 and it consists of a jetty that extends 2 kilometers from the shoreline into the ocean. The pier has three shorter secondary jetties. To manage the strong winds and currents, the last section of the jetty is surrounded by an L-shaped breakwater. The jetties have berths for dry bulk, liquid bulk (including LNG), break bulk and containers. Cargo is transported by road and pipelines across two bridges on the jetty to the mainland.
The port also includes an industrial area that is continuously under development. Numerous industrial and logistical companies have already moved in. They include a steel plant, power plants (LNG and coal), cement plants and manufacturers of windmill blades.
The port complex also has an Export Processing Zone (ZPE), an area with attractive tax incentives for companies which focus on exporting.
Current commercial activities/cargo and opportunities
Dry bulk: In addition to the current imports of iron ore and coal, there is potential for exports of grain and iron ore.
Liquid bulk: Imports of LNG for the two LNG power plants. In addition, a tender procedure is now in progress for the construction of a tank terminal for fuels and LPG.
Break bulk: Current exports of steel slabs, blades for wind turbines. In addition, granite is exported on a small scale. There are opportunities to increase exports in granite and RoRo potential for automotive imports.
Containers: Containers are imported, exported, cabotaged and transhipped. Large amounts of fruit, grain, plastics and industrial products are exported in containers. The container volumes, in combination with the industrial activities, result in potential for cold storage, warehousing and distribution centres.
The role of the Port of Rotterdam Authority
A shareholders’ agreement was signed in December 2018 under which the Port of Rotterdam Authority acquired 30% of the shares. The shareholding gives the Port of Rotterdam Authority joint control over strategic decisions and positions in the board and management.
By being active on the international maritime stage, Port of Rotterdam Authority is generating economic and social value for the Dutch business community and the Rotterdam-Rhine region. Port of Rotterdam does this by creating opportunities for Dutch companies abroad, learning from international ‘best practices’, maintaining the reputation of the Rotterdam maritime cluster at a high level and generating financial returns with its international activities. Port of Rotterdam acts in a range of capacities: as adviser, supplier, port manager and as investor. Port of Rotterdam works in accordance with its own Corporate Social Responsibility Statement when participating in companies such as Pecém.
