Designed within the concept of a “port-industry” complex, the Açu project is already beginning to reshape the look and spirit of the quiet, laid-back city of São João da Barra in the northern region of Rio de Janeiro state.
If, ten years ago, someone were to say that the peaceful, laid-back city of São João da Barra, in the northern part of the state of Rio de Janeiro, with its population of 36 thousand inhabitants, 458.611 km² of territorial area and shores bathed by the rough open waters of the Atlantic ocean, would one day be home to a port complex comparable to the most efficient seaports in the world, no doubt few would believe it. And they would be even more disbelieving if someone were to claim that the region would be the headquarters of the most modern shipyard in the Americas, equipped with fifth generation technology. But believing in improbable, unlikely-to-come-true dreams is what sets great entrepreneurs with a vision apart from common men. And it was his ‘faith’ in the dream combined with a ‘nose’ for business that led mega-entrepreneur Eike Batista to invest in the region and in his vocation for logistics and for the shipbuilding and offshore industry.
The Private Multi-use Seaport Complex of the Açu Superport, which is being built by LLX - a logistics company that belongs to the EBX Group - is the largest investment in seaport infrastructure in Latin America. The venture, which is distinctive for the innovativeness of the project that adopts the concept of a ‘port-industry complex’, combines modern practices in engineering, construction and operation involving investments of some R$ 3.8 billion (US$ 2.05 billion). Of this total, R$ 1 billion (US$ 540 million) is expected to be provided by LLX Minas-Rio (responsible for the implementation of the port terminal devoted to iron ore) and R$ 2.8 billion (US$ 1.51 billion) to be contributed by LLX Açu (responsible for the port’s operation with other cargoes such as steel/smelting products, petroleum, coal, granite, slag, pig iron, and cargoes in general).
In choosing the site, its strategic location was decisive. The venture is located near the Bacia de Campos (Campos Basin) - an area responsible for 85% of oil and gas production in Brazil. The Açu Superport will meet the needs of logistics and supply for the activities of exploration and production of oil in the Campos, Santos and Espírito Santo Basins. The entire structure, furthermore, can also connect with pipelines, mainly in the Santos Basin, to supply the demand for natural gas in steel mills, in the MPX company’s thermoelectric complex and in other industries operating in the Industrial Complex.
Furthermore, since it is located close to the country’s major centers of production and consumption, the Açu Superport has great potential to become the main alternative for moving the production of the states in Brazil’s Center-West and Southeast regions, which presently suffer from a shortage of logistical accesses.
Another decisive factor: the region of the Basin already affords adequate depth to receive large ships. Thus, the Açu Superport will have an initial depth of 21 meters, with prospects of expansion to 26 meters, which is enough for the operation of Capesize and Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) - that carry up to 320 thousand tons of cargo - and Chinamax, which have a cargo capability of 400 thousand tons. Presently, only 7% of the Brazil’s ports are capable of receiving Capesize vessels.
According to the project design, the seaport complex will be equipped with two sets of terminals, one offshore (TX1) and another onshore (TX2), both of which are under construction. Together, there will be 17 kilometers of wharves that and can receive up to 47 docked vessels. The TX1 has an access bridge with 3 kilometers in length, a tugboat pier, an iron ore pier, access channel and maneuvering basin - all of which are already completed. The complex will have nine berths and an initial depth of 21 meters (which can be expanded/dredged to 26 meters) and is expected to move up to 100 million tons of iron ore per year.
TX2, in turn, which is being built in the area bordering an inland canal for navigation, will be 6.5 km long by 300 meters wide. There will be over 13 kilometers of quays where steel products, coal, pig iron, slag and granite will be handled, as well as liquid and solid cargo in bulk. The forecast is for the Açu Superport to move 350 million tons per year between exports and imports, especially petroleum, which establishes this seaport as one of the three largest port complexes in the world. Start-up is scheduled for 2013.
Presently, about 6,000 people are at work on the construction of the seaport and 60% of those employed live in the city of Campos or in São João da Barra. When the port and the Industrial Complex are operational, 50 thousand jobs are expected to be created. Furthermore, we estimate that Açu Superport will attract US$ 40 billion in investments for the region
Industrial Complex
The project’s ‘dry-port’ or yard of over 90 km2 (equivalent to almost one-quarter of the municipality’s entire area), was designed to accommodate an industrial complex where steel mills, cement plants, a base for storage of bulk liquids, a metal-mechanical operations hub, a shipyard (the OSX Naval Construction Unit), companies in sector of equipment and services for the offshore oil vessel industry, the thermoelectric complex that belongs to MPX (the energy company of the EBX Group), iron ore pelletizing plants, a Unit for Treatment/Processing of petroleum, and information technology industries that will form the future silicon Valley of Brazil, among others
The design project for the Industrial Complex of the Açu Superport also includes distribution and cargo consolidation centers, facilities for offshore-activity support vessels and clusters for processing of natural decorative stone, floor and wall coverings and ceramics. The Superport will have a Unit for Treatment of Petroleum (UTP), already licensed to move 1.2 million barrels per day. At the UTP the levels of salt and water contained in the oil are reduced through centrifugation and decantation. The operation improves the quality and commercial value of the product.
LLX is in the process of negotiating some 60 memoranda of understanding with companies that want to establish themselves or to move cargoes at the Açu Superport. Among such memoranda is the cooperation agreement signed with Wisco (Wuhan Iron and Steel Co.), China's third largest steelmaker, and a contract agreement with Ternium for the installation of steel smelting park at the Açu Superport, with an initial production capacity of 8.4 million tons of crude steel per year.
As regards Anglo American, the company has a ‘take or pay’ contract for shipment of iron ore at the Açu Superport. In addition, LLX has also signed commercial agreements with Camargo Corrêa Cements and Votorantim Cements for the establishment of plants for the production of cement at the Açu Superport Industrial Complex.
In October 2011, LLX announced that it had signed an agreement with the NOV company (which acquired NKT Flexibles) for the installation of a flexible pipe production unit to provide support to the offshore industry at the Açu Superport. This unit, which is scheduled to begin production in 2013, will be located on the right bank of the TX2 terminal and will have a production capacity of 250 km of flexible pipes per year, plus an area for storage and testing of material. The company expects to invest US$ 200 million, creating 400 direct jobs. One month later, LLX signed a letter of intent with General Electric Energy of Brazil (GE) for the installation of a plant in the ‘dry-port’ (yard) of the Açu Superport. The new facility will, among other activities, produce equipment for the segments of energy, oil and gas.
The company also signed a contract agreement with Technip Brazil for the installation of a flexible pipe production unit to provide support to the offshore industry at the Açu Superport. This unit, which is also scheduled to begin production in 2013, will be located on the right bank of the TX2 terminal and will have an area for the production of flexible pipes, plus an area for storage and testing of material. The unit will have 500 meters of quayside (quay front) and 289,800 m² of total area. Expected investment will be R$ 650 million (US$ 351.3 million) in the construction of the facility, creating 600 direct jobs.
Another major agreement was signed in December of last year with InterMoor consisting of the installation of a unit that will provide logistical support and specialized services for the oil and gas industry at the Açu Superport. The unit, with start-up of operations scheduled for 2013, will be located on the right bank of the TX2 terminal and will provide a range of services to meet the specific needs of its customers which include: Petrobras, Shell and OGX, as well as other companies in the oil and gas sector operating in Brazil. The unit will have 90 meters of quayside (quay front) and 52,302 m² of total area.
In late May 2012, LLX announced a contract agreement with Subsea7 for the installation of a plant to assemble and coat/line long rigid subsea pipelines at the Açu Superport. With a 250 meter long pier and two berths for mooring ships, the Subsea7 facility will occupy an area of 363,334 m2 and will be installed on the left bank of the entrance to the TX2 terminal canal.
Integrated logistics
Companies that set up operations at the Açu Superport will benefit from two alternatives in rail transportation: the ‘Nova Linha Mineira’ - New Minas Gerais Line (linking Rio de Janeiro to the state of Minas Gerais) and the Coastal Line (connecting the networks of the MRS - Southeast Regional Network - to the FCA - Central Atlantic Railway). These two accesses will enable the Açu Superport to serve the country’s Southeast, South and Center-West regions. The railroad lines already exist and studies for the refurbishing of these particular stretches have already begun.
The Açu Superport will also be accessible by road via Brazil’s main highways, such as the BR 116 (Presidente Dutra Highway) and BR 040 (Rio - Juiz de Fora). For access to the Açu Superport, a logistics corridor with 400 meters in width and 43 km in length will be built. The corridor will have will 4 lanes for vehicles, 2 railway lines and 3 transmission lines (135 kV, 345 kV and 500 kV). The Logistics Corridor was designed to carry 200 million tons per year with a circulation of up to 100,000 vehicles per day.
Social and Environmental Responsibility
A commitment to sustainable development and respect for the environment are prioritized guidelines in the venture, according to LLX. With about R$ 150 million (US$ 81 million) invested or already scheduled for investment, the company maintains over 50 environmental programs in São João da Barra. Among the actions taken is the ‘Programa de Qualificação Profissional’ (Professional Qualification Program), which is conducted through a partnership with SENAI and São João da Barra City Hall and which offers courses for the city’s residents. In both of the phases, that have already been concluded, approximately 600 people were trained as masons, welders, carpenters, mechanics, forklift operators, hydraulic technicians, stock keepers, rebar setters, and administrative assistants. The forecast is that over 3,100 people will be trained in these courses in 2012 for the phases of implementation and operation of the projects.
Initiatives focused on the fishing community are also developed. Among such initiatives is the establishment of a dental practice with an office providing dental care and a computer skills lab in the colonies of fishermen, remodeling of the Barra do Açu fishery headquarters, refurbishing of the local school, donation of equipment for the licensing of boats (issuance of reports), donation of a headquarters for use by the fishing colony, assessment of the level of education and delivery of a navigation kit with buoys, life jackets and flags.
LLX is also installing a Fisherman’s Depot in the district of Atafona in São João da Barra. Developed under a partnership with the EBX Group and São João da Barra City Hall, the Depot will provide infrastructure and support to fishing activities in the region, in addition to enabling the delivery of higher quality products, adding value to fishing catches and lowering production costs, thereby improving marketability. With an investment of over R$ 2 million (US$ 1.1 million), the construction of the Fisherman’s Depot began in January 2012 and when concluded will occupy an area of 3,100 m².
Another program commissioned by the company is the ABC de Ensino (the ABC's of Learning) which enables fishermen to complete their elementary school education (from grades 1 to 4). For the first half of 2012, forty-five students are enrolled in groups divided into early and advanced levels. This is an equivalency program and provides a certificate of completion. Classes are taught at a city school in Atafona, near the headquarters of Fishermen's Colony. The initiative is a partnership of LLX Minas-Rio (a company formed by LLX and Anglo American), SESI and São João da Barra City Hall.
In the area of the environment, LLX develops programs aimed at recovering and preserving the environment where its projects are installed. In the surrounding area of the Açu Superport, LLX has established a ‘Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural’ (RPPN - Private Nature Preserve or Private Reserve of Natural Heritage), as a social and environmental initiative, on its own area of approximately 40 km ² - the largest Private Natural Heritage Reserve in a ‘restinga’ or sandbank biome area in the country. This will ensure not only the preservation of an important natural ecosystem, but also will establish a high standard of sustainability and environmental quality for municipal urban growth.
In São João da Barra LLX also keeps a nursery specifically for certain species of trees that are native to the restinga or sandy coastal areas with production capacity of 500 thousand seedlings/year. These seedlings are used to reforest areas of restinga that had been degraded prior to the beginning of construction of the Açu Superport. The restoration project envisions planting over 10 million seedlings and has, so far, planted about 100 thousand. The institutional nursery, as it is known, has mastered the technique of production and management of over 53 species that are native to restingas, providing a framework for understanding the reproduction of these species. Presently, the nursery has over 200 thousand packages ready and seeded.
Under a partnership with the Tamar Project (Brazilian Center for Protection and Research on Sea Turtles), LLX runs a program to monitor the spawning of sea turtles along a 62 kilometer stretch of coastline, between Atafona and Barra do Furado. This surveillance fulfills one of the environmental requirements for securing a license to build and operate the port and its purpose is to enable a comparison between the results obtained prior to, during and following the completion of the work. Daily, six monitors who are local residents that have been trained by Project Tamar staff inspect a stretch of the beach recording and reporting any event in connection with sea turtles.
The occurrence of reproductive events (such as spawning i.e. egg laying) are georeferenced and marked with numbered stakes to identify their location. The location of the event is also recorded using a GPS device. The company has also installed within the Açu Superport, a Center for Treatment and Recovery of Sea Turtles.
The company also signed an cooperation agreement with the State Department of Agriculture and Livestock of Rio de Janeiro for the implementation of projects aimed at improving agricultural technology and income for the agriculture sector. The agreement aims to deploy in the agricultural area near the Açu Superport two greenhouses. The greenhouses are part of the Plano de Investimento Social da Agricultura Familiar (Plan for Social Investment in Family Farming) which is already underway in the 5th district of São João da Barra.
Additionally, in cooperation with the Industrial Development Company of Rio de Janeiro (CODIN) and São João da Barra City Hall, LLX is building the ‘Vila da Terra’ (Village of the Earth) a model of a rural settlement established in São João da Barra. At the site, 90 areas are being earmarked for families whose properties were expropriated for the creation of the Industrial District of São João da Barra which is being implemented in the city by CODIN. To determine which families would be resettled in the Vila da Terra, criteria that has been established includes residence at the site and the properties of less than 10 hectares in area.
Built on the ‘Fazenda Palacete’ farm - a location suggested by the farmers themselves, the Vila da Terra has about one thousand hectares. Of the total number of homes planned, 36 have already been completed. All the homes are turned over to the farmers equipped with a washing machine, TV, refrigerator, stove and computer, besides living room and bedroom furniture and kitchen cabinets.
In addition, residents receive land that has already been tilled for cultivation, with treated and fertilized soil, in addition to an orchard that is being prepared with 20 fruit-bearing trees for the residents’ own consumption. Until the first crop or pasture is ready, farmers receive a grant to help them with their production for up to 24 months. The benefit has been paid by the State Government of Rio de Janeiro since July 2011.
The Vila da Terra was developed according to the standards established by the World Bank - an international benchmark in resettlement. It was designed with all the necessary infrastructure for its full operation such as paved streets, a multipurpose sports court, community center, street lighting, water distribution and sewage lines and a business center.
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