RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Paraguay’s Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) informed that the companies awarded for the development of the dredging works in the Paraná River have already signed the contracts, so the only thing left to do is to start the works shortly.
It is the MOPC Call N°48/2021 “Contracting by way of exception for the emergency maintenance dredging of the Paraná River, in the Yacyretá section up to the confluence with the Paraguay River – Ad Referendum to the PGN 2022. Second call for bids”, awarded to the companies Ingeniería y Topografía de Caminos S.A. (T&C S.A.) and Terminal Occidental S.A.
T&C will be in charge of Lot 1 from Paso Loro Cuarto km 1,458 to Paso San Pablo km 1,401, with a minimum operational amount of US$1.4 million and a maximum of US$2.1 million. On the other hand, Terminal Occidental S.A. (TOSA) will be responsible for Lot 2 from Paso Carpinchuelo km 1,385 to Paso de Patria, for a minimum of US$1.4 million and a maximum of US$2.1 million.
In this context, Jorge Vergara, director of Strategic Projects of the MOPC, said that the advance payment would be made after signing the contract to allow the start of the works.
In this same sense, he pointed out that one of the awarded companies is dredging in the area of the confluence of the Paraguay and Paraná rivers, at the request of the Mixed Commission of the Paraná River (COMIP).
Finally, he also pointed out that the definitive solution to river maintenance is public-private partnerships. In this regard, he announced that by April 2022, the company Jan de Nul will be presenting the feasibility studies for this project and that the intention is to grant a 30-year concession for the river.