A new port on the banks of São Gonçalo Canal, in the municipality of Rio Grande, near Pelotas (RS), may come about in the next few years. Jerônimo Goergen, a federal representative from the region, initiated the conversation with a São Paulo-based company supposedly interested in the venture. The Congressman is also working with the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Resources (Ibama) to obtain the required permits to initiate the project. The 137.5 hectares area marks the junction of the railway that crosses the region and the São Gonçalo canal, a few kilometers away from the Port of Pelotas. Geogen wants to build an export terminal that features vessels leaving São Gonçalo through Lagoa dos Patos sailing to the Atlantic Ocean. To do so, investments worth R$500 million for dredging deeper liming to allow the transit of larger vessels is being studied. The construction of a new terminal on flooded land on the banks of the canal is possible as long as the project is in accordance with environmental guidelines.
Sources: Diario Popular/Datamar News