The Brazilian government has added 55 new projects to the proposed concessions pipeline, including port terminals, transmission lines, railroads, highways and water companies.
The new concessions require more than BRL45bn ($14.2bn) in total investments, the Investment Partnerships Program, or PPI, said in a statement.
In the energy sector, the PPI has included 35 new concessions with BRL12.8bn in investments. The tender documents will start to come out before the end of the month and the first concession auction will take place in the first half of 2017.
The PPI also put on the list a 211km stretch of federal highway BR-101 in the state of Santa Catarina, with BRL4bn in estimated investments. The concession is expected to go to market in the first half of next year. The government could also retender the concessions for Nova Dutra, now owned by CCR, as well as CRT, held by OAS, and Concer, controlled by Triunfo.
Four new port terminal concessions, including two in the Port of Paranagua, need roughly BRL517m in investments. Extending the contracts for seven port terminals concessions calls for another BRL950m in investments, the PPI said.
The PPI’s plans also involve extending five railroad concession contracts in return for BRL25bn in investments in five years.
The government will award contracts later this month to conduct feasibility studies on water and wastewater concessions in the states of Alagoas, Amapa, Pernambuco, Sergipe and Maranhao. It has also put out the call for offers to carry out studies on sanitation concessions in the state of Acre, Paraiba, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceara and Santa Catarina. The government also plans to grant wastewater concessions in the states of Amazonas, Bahia, Piaui and Tocantins.
Brazil has lifted the estimated returns on infrastructure concessions to between 9% and 13% to make projects more appealing to investors. First in line, the auctions for four airport concessions will take place on March 16.