The Chamber of Private Commercial Ports has asked the National Ports and Waterways Agency to extend the deadline for submitting bids and opening envelopes in the tender for a private operator for the waterway by at least 30 days. The process is currently scheduled for mid-February.
“A necessary clarification: this request for a limited and specific extension, as clearly stated here, should in no way be interpreted as opposition to the national and international public tender under the public works concession regime with toll and business risk,” the entity emphasized. This chamber represents the country’s most significant private ports, including the grain exporters in Greater Rosario.
Signed by its general manager, Federico Spoturno, the chamber submitted the request on Monday to l the agency leading the tender process, which is overseen by Iñaki Arreseygor. The letter is also backed by another sector entity, the Chamber of Port and Maritime Activities, headed by Juan Carlos Vilanova.
The chamber justifies its request by noting that “some pending matters remain under analysis and resolution, even by third-party bodies, such as the Argentine Coast Guard, regarding adjustments to its 2018 Ordinance No. 4, which governs the validation of progressively deeper drafts while maintaining a two-foot under-keel clearance.”
The ports request an extension to allow the tender documents to be adjusted to several proposed changes, including:
1. Concessionaire Responsibilities: Include a mandate requiring the concessionaire to adjust channel dimensions to meet the design ship specifications when deepening the current navigable draft from 34 to 40 feet. This aligns with technical documents provided by waterway users and enables the Coast Guard to validate the adequacy of a 40-foot draft with two feet of under-keel clearance, ensuring safe navigation. Such measures would facilitate larger vessels (beyond Panamax dimensions) navigating from Timbúes to the ocean, reducing the need for additional loading at deep-sea ports or mitigating false freight charges for long-haul destinations.
2. Bid Evaluation Formula: Modify the polynomial formula in Envelope 3 to increase the weight of the economic offer, encouraging more competitive rates among major dredging companies with sufficient technical experience.
3. Reference Tariff for 40 Feet: Include a reference tariff for a 40-foot navigable draft, calculated with updated CapEx and OpEx figures for the contracted service and projected future traffic toll revenues.
4. Tariff Progression: Link tariff progression to the depth increments achieved, allowing the concessionaire to recover its investment sooner as each additional foot of depth is made available for immediate navigational use.
5. Martin Garcia Channel: Include 34 feet of navigable draft at BGT, with provisions for deeper drafts in this subsection once the Martin Garcia channels are deepened, maximizing the potential of this complementary trunk waterway.
6. Updated Reference Levels: Incorporate updated reference levels as of June 2024 into the tender documents. This would enable proper depth design and work volume estimation from the start of the new concession, allowing bidders to present adjusted offers without such data being unknown variables.