The Municipality of Rotterdam and the Ministry of Finance, as shareholders of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, have agreed to the participation in the port of Pecem, a rapidly growing port in Northeast Brazil.

The investment involves an investment of around 75 million euros, and the Port of Rotterdam Authority receives joint control over strategic decisions and positions in management and 30% of the shares. It is expected that the Port of Rotterdam Authority and the State of Ceara will sign the decision in principle next month and will be used in the following months to make the participation final. Allard Castelein, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, is pleased with the decision in principle: “Our participation in the Brazilian port of Pecem is promising for all parties. We have been working together with Pecém as a consultant for several years. The collaboration will intensify further through this investment. Together with the state of Ceará, we will ensure that Pecém become the logistics and commercial hub of Northeast Brazil. ‘

Rotterdam business opportunities

By acting on the international maritime scene, the Port of Rotterdam Authority creates economic and social value for the Netherlands and the Rotterdam-Rijnmond region. The Port of Rotterdam Authority is doing this to offer Dutch companies opportunities abroad, to learn from international best practices, to uphold the reputation of the Rotterdam maritime cluster and to achieve financial returns from its international activities. The Port Authority fulfills various roles in this: as an advisor, supplier, port manager and as an investor.

Pecém as a hub for Northeast Brazil

Brazil offers a lot of potential, partly because of its richness in raw materials, and because Brazil is expected to be a growth market in the coming decades. In addition to the participation in Pecem, the Port of Rotterdam Authority is also involved in Porto Central, a greenfield port still under development in the state of Espírito Santo.

Pecem is a fast-growing port. The total transshipment in 2017 was 16 million tons and the port has experienced an average annual growth of 22% over the last 10 years. Due to the growth of the economy (national and international) and the related market demand, Pecém can grow to a throughput of 45 million tonnes by 2030. What makes Pecem more attractive is that a large part of the required infrastructure (breakwaters, moorings, land) , etc.) is already present.

The port of Pecém has the opportunity and the ambition to grow into an industrial and logistical hub for Northeast Brazil, which offers many opportunities for international trade flows and investments from Europe.

Source: Port of Rotterdam
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