Acqua Vias SP Wins São Paulo Ferry PPP With 12.6% Discount to Run 14 Crossings

Overview

• Acqua Vias SP won the B3 auction on Nov. 13 with a 12.6% discount on the public payment to operate, maintain and manage 14 water-crossing routes for 20 years.
• The concession requires about R$2.5 billion in upgrades, including 45 new vessels (41 electric) and modernized terminals, targeting a reduction of roughly 18,000 tons of CO2 per year.
• Key crossings include Santos–Guarujá and São Sebastião–Ilhabela, plus services on the Billings reservoir and Paraibuna, which together handle about 11 million passengers and 10 million vehicles annually.
• Fare levels and legal gratuities remain unchanged under a structure in which the operator retains 20% of fare revenue while the state covers the remaining 80% as a availability payment.
• The state plans to sign the contract in the first half of 2026, followed by a phased handover with three months of joint operation and full management by the seventh month.