Auction of two sanitation blocks in Alagoas raises R$1.6 billion
The auction of blocks B and C of the sanitation program in the state of Alagoas, for the concession of water supply and sewage services, held today (13) at B3, in São Paulo, had the winners, respectively, of the Alagoas consortiums, Allonda company, and Mundaú, Cymi company. The companies presented commercial grant proposals totaling R$1.645 billion.
Block A of the program, to serve 13 cities in the metropolitan region of Maceió, was auctioned in September of last year.
This Monday's auction opened the schedule of the 5th Sanitation Week of the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES). The Alagoas Consortium's proposal for block B, which comprises the Agreste and Sertão regions, cost R$1.215 billion, with a premium of 37,551.07% on the minimum price of the notice.
The Mundaú Consortium presented a proposal of R$ 430 million for the concession of services in Block C, which involves the Zona da Mata and the coast of Alagoas. The goodwill reached 1,227.28%. Together, the two blocks will serve 61 municipalities, with an estimated population of 1.3 million people. The contracts are expected to last for 35 years.
sanitation journey
The president of the BNDES, Gustavo Montezano, highlighted that, in the last 14 months, this was the fifth time he went to B3 to “celebrate important steps in the universalization of sanitation in Brazil”. Among these steps, Montezano cited health, employment, education, reducing social inequalities and dignity for people.
"This is the journey of sanitation", said the president of the BNDES. The auction this Monday will guarantee Alagoas R$ 4.5 billion in investments, 2.5 thousand direct jobs and more than 1 million people served, he said.
The National Secretary of Sanitation, Pedro Maranhão, greeted the entrepreneurs and pointed out that, without them, investments in the area of sanitation would not be possible. “The law took hold, the train left and there is no going back. And now we are leaving with our projects”, added Maranhão, referring to the regulatory framework for sanitation. According to the secretary, 100 million Brazilians do not have treated sewage, and 15 thousand people die each year in the country due to lack of sanitation.
The governor of Alagoas, Renan Filho, highlighted the importance of the auction for the state, as it makes possible investments similar to those in Block A, with higher investment, to be made by private partners, and with 80% of the granting of the previous auction. Renan Filho thanked the city halls for joining the program and said that he hopes to collect more investment and quality of life for the state from this auction with the fulfillment of the basic sanitation agenda.
Swing
In a press conference, the BNDES' Concessions and Privatizations director, Fábio Abrahão, stated that the balance in the sanitation area is positive so far. For 2022 and 2023, Abrahão expects intense movement: auctions of services in Pará, Sergipe, Ceará, Paraíba and Rondônia will be on the agenda, in addition to the Corsan auction, in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul. The estimated investment capacity reaches at least R$ 10 billion.
About Block 3 of the State Water and Sewage Company of Rio de Janeiro (Cedae), scheduled for the 29th of the month, Abrahão was optimistic. “We see a very constructive movement in the market; realize that there will be dispute.” The BNDES director pointed out that there are more than R$ 55 billion in mobilized capital. "It's a volume of global-class investments."
With the money collected in grants, the BNDES is prepared to help states and municipalities to structure a fund to use the resources raised in areas such as education and health, he added.
Renan Filho, in turn, said that he is calmly facing a lawsuit that questions in the Supreme Court (STF) the formation of the block in the metropolitan region of Maceió, whose auction had BRK Ambiental as the winner. Half of the grant amount was blocked. According to the governor, with the final decision of the STF, it will be possible to “fulfill the legal framework for sanitation”. For Renan Filho, the important thing is that that auction raised fundamental investments for the fulfillment of the basic sanitation agenda in the metropolitan region of the capital. The company has already taken over the services and is making investments, he concluded.
Text translated using artificial intelligence.
