APS – Ports of Sines and the Algarve Authority and CSN – Steelwork National Company (Brazil) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on July 12, within the scope of the European Commission’s Global Gateway initiative.

The document was signed by APS’ CEO, José Luís Cacho, and by the director of CSN, Pedro Brito do Nascimento, in a ceremony that took place at the Ministry for Infrastructures, a ceremony headed by the Minister for Infrastructures, João Galamba.

This Memorandum of Understanding aims at establishing the scope, rules and guiding principles of the developing joint action in order to establish sustainable, green and digital logistical corridors to support a strategy focused on three essential pillars: “logistics resilience”, “energy resilience” and “physical and digital connectivity”.

A commitment that also has the intention of attracting structuring investments and to promote industrial policy, providing particular opportunities for segments such as agribusiness, critical raw materials and Green Hydrogen.

In his speech, the Minister for Infrastructures, João Galamba, stressed “the relevance of the Memorandum in promoting the development of port infrastructures, transport and the fulfillment of sustainable, green and digital logistical corridors, aimed at increasing connectivity on a global scale”.

APS’ CEO, José Luis Cacho, assured «the commitment of the Port Authority of Sines in achieving the goals of the Memorandum and highlighted the competitive advantages of the Port of Sines in promoting Brazilian foreign trade to Europe, highlighting Sines as a gateway of Brazilian exports to Europe, particularly in the agri-food business».

For his part, the Director of CSN, Pedro Brito do Nascimento, assumed «the importance of this Memorandum, emphasizing the need for its implementation covering the energy areas, but also in the areas of Safety and Environment».

On her turn, Sofia Moreira de Sousa, Representative of the European Commission, highlighted «the importance of connectivity between countries and continents, mainly in the food chain, in the days of uncertainty that we live today».

This Memorandum of Understanding between the Port of Sines and CSN was signed under the scope of the European Commission and the EU High Representative kick off of the Global Gateway, in December 2021, consisting on a new European strategy to promote smart, clean and safe connections to digital, energy and transport sectors, aligned with the United Nations 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals, as well as with the Paris Agreement and the commitments of the G7 leaders, providing support for investments in a total of 300 billion euros, to be accomplished by 2027 in five strategic pillars: digital sector; climate and energy; transport; health; and, education and research.