Brazil has passed a federal law limiting the amount of time a truck driver has to wait before being attended to at the port of Rio Grande in a bid to prevent the hold-ups that plagued last year’ s bumper harvest. Now,if a truck driver has to wait more than five hours to discharge the consignment, he is eligible to receive € 0.36 (US49¢) for every tonne he is carrying for each extra hour he has to wait. Of the 9.1m tonnes of soya expected to be harvested in the State this year, 5m tonnes will be exported.
Meanwhile, the port hopes to issue a tender next year for a forestry products terminal, depending on the findings of an economic impact study. Plans are that it will be constructed on a 40 hectare area next to the container terminal.The main product handled will be cellulose.
Investment of €25m ($33.8m) has been mooted, with construction due to start in 2009 and operations scheduled to begin the following year. Both Votorantim Celulose e Papel and Aracruz are expected to bid for the project.
To further enhance prospects at the Brazilian port, an environmental impact study is evaluating the proposal to deepen draught from 40 feet to 60 feet. It approved, this will allow the berthing of vessels up to 150,000 dwt and result in overall volume growth approaching 50%.
Furthermore, two quays are to be extended by 370 metres and 700 metres respectively to be able to handle the additional tonnage.
