Railway Operated by Vale Will Be Connected to Açu Port and Will Have a Route Through Comperj

The Government Has Plans to Connect the Vitória-Minas Railroad, Operated by Vale, to the Açu Port, with a Route through the Comperj Petrochemical Pole in Rio de Janeiro.

On Monday, June 24, Infrastructure Minister Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas attended a breakfast organized by the LIDE Business Council (Group of Business Leaders) in Rio. Freitas reported that the government has plans to connect the Vitória-Minas Railroad, operated by Vale, to the Açu Port, with a route through the Comperj petrochemical pole in Rio de Janeiro.

The Minister also said that the subject of the government’s plans to privatize Santos Dumont Airport, along with other important infrastructure assets, such as the Docas Company and the concession of various highways, all located in Rio de Janeiro, were discussed at the meeting.

Freitas emphasized that the investment will be directed towards providing infrastructure for the Açu Port in São João da Barra, in the northern part of the State of Rio.

He mentioned plans to extend the Vitória-Minas Railroad to Rio. To do so, he stated that he intends to use resources from the extension of the MRS Logistics contract and federal government funds.

– It is a government objective to extend the railroad to Açu. This will be done with resources from the MRS extension and from AGU’s own resources, which are public investments. But we are still evaluating. We see the Açu Port as a major port – he highlighted.

Vale secured, last week, from the National Land Transportation Agency (ANTT), an extension of the concession contract for the Vitória Minas Railroad (EFVM) for another 30 years, bringing forward investments that would only have been made starting in 2027.

“It is necessary to bring a railroad to the Açu door (passing through Comperj)… This is still under evaluation. Extending the railroad to Açu will be done with resources from the extension or with public funds. Getting to Açu is a priority,” the minister said to reporters at a business event in Rio de Janeiro.

The minister also stated that the engineering project and the connection of the EFVM network from Cariacica to Rio de Janeiro will be carried out by Vale itself.

The National Agency of Petroleum – ANP, is evaluating the renewal of contracts for 12 offshore fields operated by Petrobras