Five billion-dollar projects accumulate delays and put pressure on the Lula government 4

Brasília President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) will begin his fourth term with the challenge of unlocking emblematic infrastructure projects, at the same time that he will have less cash for investment, mainly in the transport sector.

Five of these works are already chronically delayed, some of which have been known since the PT member's first visit to Palácio do Planalto, more than 20 years ago.

On the Transnordestina railway, for example, a project that began in 2006, during Lula's first term, the section between Salgueiro and Suape, in Pernambuco, remains to be completed.

In the electricity sector, the government still needs to decide what it will do with the work on the Angra 3 nuclear plant, after decades of uncertainty about whether or not to complete the project.

Finally, Lula promises to complete the works to expand the transposition of the São Francisco River to Rio Grande do Norte.

In common, these projects depend on billion-dollar federal resources at a time when the country faces strong scrutiny of national accounts amid rising public debt. There is also a series of clashes over environmental impacts, as seen in the cases of Pedral and BR-319, both in the Amazon.

The Budget proposal for 2027 foresees R$16.07 billion for federal investments in transport infrastructure, including Union and state-owned companies, according to a survey by the CNT (National Transport Confederation). That's R$661.28 million less than in the 2026 proposal, a 4% drop in values ​​adjusted for inflation.

The values ​​can still be changed by Congress. After approval of the Budget, its execution depends on the release of resources and compliance with fiscal rules.

In Angra dos Reis, on the coast of Rio de Janeiro, the decision begins to continue or end the construction of Brazil's third nuclear plant. The project dates back to the 1980s, went through interruptions and was authorized to resume in 2007, during Lula's second term. Work progressed again, but was interrupted in 2015.

In 2021, Eletronuclear announced that the plant would be in operation in November 2026, which was not fulfilled.

At the end of last year, a study by BNDES (National Bank for Economic and Social Development) released by the company began working with March 2033 and estimated a cost of R$23.9 billion to complete the plant. If the option is to abandon the works, the expenses would be between R$21.9 billion and R$25.9 billion.

The definition is up to the CNPE (National Energy Policy Council), made up of ministers. The scenarios examined include private participation or conclusion with resources from the Union and ENBPar, the state-owned company that controls Eletronuclear.

The proposed investment budget for state-owned companies reserves R$1.12 billion for the implementation of Angra 3 in 2027, without resolving the full financing.

On BR-319, the objective is to pave the connection between Manaus and Porto Velho. In May, the Dnit (National Department of Transport Infrastructure) reported that four contracts published in 2026 totaled more than R$1.3 billion for interventions in more than 339 kilometers. The agency received a license from Ibama (Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) to build three concrete bridges along this stretch.

The road budget is facing a critical scenario. The CNT Highway Survey 2025 estimated that R$49.93 billion are needed for maintenance, restoration and reconstruction of federal roads under public management. The R$12.46 billion forecast for road transport in 2027 is equivalent to a quarter of this amount.

In Pará, the Pedral do Lourenço in the bed of the Tocantins river restricts cargo navigation. The plan, which completed a decade, envisages removing stones to open passage for vessels and improve the flow of grains and ores to the ports of Pará.

The Ministry of Ports and Airports estimates the cost of R$1.1 billion for the project, which is in the executive design phase.

In Pernambuco, Transnordestina puts back before Lula a promise made in his first term. The railway began to be built in 2006, with original delivery scheduled for 2010. The section between Salgueiro and the port of Suape, measuring around 545 kilometers, was not delivered.

The 2027 federal budget proposal reserves R$53.4 million for the work.

In the transposition of the São Francisco, which began in 2007, the central canals already transport water, but there are pending issues regarding expansion of the system. It is expected to be completed in 2027. The budget proposal reserves R$561 million for the Northern Axis integration action, which brings together different interventions.

The TCU (Federal Audit Court) report that monitors the execution of federal works recorded 4,215 projects with stoppages in 2026, among 22,414 projects inspected. The universe includes constructions carried out by states and municipalities with money from the Union.

To Folha, the Ministry of Transport stated that the Budget analysis must consider the transfer of highways to the private sector. According to the ministry, more than 8,000 kilometers have been granted in recent years, and another 3,000 kilometers are planned for 2027. This transfer should reduce the need for public expenditure on funding and maintenance by around R$2 billion annually.

"The concession of economically attractive highways allows directing public resources to projects that the market, alone, would not be able to make viable", stated the ministry.

Regarding the stoppages, the ministry stated that "there is no frozen contract linked to the Ministry of Transport" on the TCU list and that there are only a few with specific adjustments.

For BR-319, the ministry informed that it intends to hold a public-private partnership auction in December 2027, conditional on the completion of the technical, environmental and regulatory stages. Dnit stated that the four batches of improvements, covering approximately 339.4 kilometers, are contracted.

In Pedral do Lourenço, Dnit reported that the project is in pre-mobilization. "Direct interventions on the submerged rock mass have not yet started."

The schedule foresees starting demolition in March 2027, with completion and demobilization in December 2030. The Ministry of Ports and Airports declared that each stage depends on compliance with technical and environmental requirements.

Regarding Transnordestina to Suape, the Ministry of Transport stated that it already has a public works contract signed and that projects are being prepared. "The resumption of physical works depends on the completion of these stages and compliance with the requirements of the control bodies."

State-owned Infra S.A. reported that it contracted the works for a 73-kilometer lot. "The expectation is that work execution activities will begin soon," he declared. The state-owned company also evaluates the conditions of 175 kilometers already completed.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy stated that the resumption of Angra 3 remains under discussion at the CNPE. According to the ministry, the board also needs to authorize the energy commercialization contract, defining the price and supply period of 40 years.

Eletronuclear said that "the completion of Angra 3 is strategic for the country and depends on the structuring of a sustainable financing model, associated with an energy commercialization solution that ensures the economic and financial viability of the project."

The state-owned company said that "it has preserved the technical and institutional conditions necessary to support the decision of shareholders and the Union regarding the continuity of the project, providing the necessary elements to assess its viability."

The Ministry of Integration and Regional Development said that it maintains the plan to carry out structural works for the transposition in 2027, with the expansion of the pumping capacity of the North Axis.

The Civil House stated that it permanently monitors the New PAC portfolio, in coordination with ministries, states and municipalities. "Each project progresses according to its maturity, considering stages such as project preparation, environmental licensing, contracting and execution."