TCU conditions the integration of STS08 into the STS08A contract on proof of efficiency

Integration depends on a new review

The Federal Court of Accounts authorized progress on the proposal to incorporate the STS08 terminal into the STS08A contract, an area operated by Petrobras at the Port of Santos. The decision allows the government to proceed with the joint-operation model, but does not automatically authorize the signing of a contract amendment.

The Ministry of Ports and Airports must send the court all of the project's final documentation within 15 days after approval of the incorporation. The review will take place before any possible change to the contract and will verify whether the efficiency gains presented for the integrated operation have been substantiated.

The areas had been separated for two auctions. In the 2021 auction, Petrobras was the only bidder for STS08A and won with an offer of R$ 558.25 million. STS08 received no bids. Later, the Santos Port Authority resumed studies for a new tender and identified six potential interested parties, but the process changed direction in 2025, when the government began directly examining the integration proposed by Petrobras.

In its justification submitted to the TCU, the state-owned company projected approximately R$ 1.6 billion in investments and potential handling capacity 33.3% higher than the capacity projected in the model prepared for the new auction, estimated at approximately R$ 360 million. The proposal also includes increased storage capacity and the construction of a new public berth.

The court held that the failure of the 2021 auction, on its own, does not prove that a new tender would be unfeasible, because subsequent studies identified interested parties and redesigned the project. Therefore, the joint operation must be supported by operational benefits that are effectively demonstrated.