Solaris Group will invest R$100 million in expanding the Tesc pier

The Solaris group, which manages the Santa Catarina Port Terminal (Tesc), in São Francisco do Sul (SC), announced that work to expand the pier began last Tuesday (7), with the placement of the first pile, in which R$100 million will be invested and which is expected to be completed in 2026.

According to the company, after the work, the terminal will be able to receive two ships at the same time and also larger vessels. According to the company, expanding the pier is part of the first stage of the terminal’s modernization and expansion plan, which foresees investments of over R$500 million in projects that are being analyzed by the Ministry of Ports and Airports (Mpor) and whose approval is expected in early May 2026.

The expansion of the pier aims to take advantage of the gains from the dredging of Babitonga Bay, which will increase the draft of the access channel to 16 meters, and receive ships with greater cargo capacity and classes superior to the current Panamax vessels. The expectation is to increase handling capacity, mainly in the fertilizer, soybean, corn, bran, sugar and other solid bulk segments, in addition to general cargo, steel products and project cargo.

The Solaris group explained that the first phase of expansion, with the work to expand the pier, will not affect the terminal’s activities. He also informed that the second stage, scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026, with investments to increase storage capacity, road reception and handling systems, was also planned to be carried out without relevant impacts on Tesc’s operation.

The company, which is controlled by the Oman Investment Authority, the sovereign wealth fund of the Sultanate of Oman, clarified that the work on the pier was included in the process of renewing the lease contract and that it was one of the commitments made by Tesc with the Port Authority of São Francisco do Sul. The Group concluded in January this year the purchase of controlling interest in the terminal and Agribrasil.

According to the company, the expansion plan includes decarbonization initiatives, increased energy efficiency and reduced operational impacts, in addition to job creation and the expectation of attracting new businesses. Stéphane Frappat, CEO of Solaris, said that the expansion of the pier is the first step of the project to increase Tesc’s movement. “We are preparing the terminal for a new level of capacity, efficiency and competitiveness, in line with the evolution of Brazilian foreign trade,” he stated.