Deadline for bidding and completion of the work exceeds the start date of the climate event, which will be held in November 2025 in Belém (PA)
The president's government Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) is racing against time to deliver the most important work for COP 30 (United Nations Conference on Climate Change), which will take place in Belém, Pará. It involves dredging the coastline of the capital of Pará. The government needs to increase the depth of the coast for cruise ships to dock and serve as hotels for participants in the weather event.
The problem is that the work needs around 16 months to be completed, and the climatic event will take place in 18 months, in November 2025. In addition to the time needed for the project itself, the government needs to carry out the bidding process. From publishing the notice to choosing the winning company, the estimated timeframe is around 90 days, which already exceeds the deadline for COP30.
A CDP (Companhia Docas do Pará) is responsible for the work. The company requested 2 studies to complete the notice, but they should only be completed by mid-May. Here are the missing surveys:
- beat – measures the depth of the river that will be dredged. It is essential for the work. It is being done by the Navy and will be ready by the end of April
- poll – carries out hydrographic recognition of the area. It is the responsibility of UFPA (Federal University of the State of Pará) and must only be delivered from May 15th.
The tight deadline made some wings of the government consider changing the COP30 venue. However, the governor of Pará Helder Barbalho (MDB), which is government, assured that the event will be in the capital of Pará.
Barbalho's allies say the project is ready and the bidding could be done now. They prefer, however, to wait for the studies to continue the process.
Dredging the channel involves removing around 12 million m³ of sediment. The last dredging in the Amazon region took place at the Port of Juriti (PA) in the 2nd half of 2023. The operation cost R$30 per m³. If conditions are similar, the budget for dredging the Belém shoreline would be close to R$360 million.
This estimate could be higher if you consider that only one dredger was hired for the Juriti dredging. For the COP project, it will be necessary to hire a larger number of vessels.
CDP's initial idea is to hire 3 dredgers to operate simultaneously to remove and dispose of waste at a dumping point. With this number, the work will take 16 months and added to the 3 months of bidding, the deadline would be exceeded. It will be necessary to hire more machines, which would increase the cost and impact on the region.
LEGACY OF DREDGING
There are doubts in the port sector in the Northern Region whether dredging the Belém shoreline will bring economic benefits to the region.
Agricultural production is transported through Arco Norte via the Port of Vila do Conde, in Barcarena (PA). The sector's assessment is that a new terminal in Vila do Conde would be better utilized than dredging on the capital's waterfront and would bring more lasting economic benefits.
The dredging of the capital's coastline will not affect the flow of production through Barcarena, as the goods do not pass through Guajará Bay, where the COP30 dredging operation will take place.
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