Ceará’s strategic position and the rise in importance of Pecem Port are the reasons behind major new investment in Ceará. In early September, another fibre optic cable brought the state one step closer to becoming the telecommunications hub for Latin America and a Korean company signed an agreement to build a liquefied gas unit. For the state authorities, these investments prove the appeal of the Ceará economy to global companies and provide a spring board for yet more investment.
Ceará is the nearest Brazilian state to Europe and Africa, and this strategic position has brought real advantages in terms of fibre optic technology. Seven cables already connect Fortaleza and Ceará with other parts of the world and a new one was implanted in early September. The latest arrival plus five more in the pipeline are set to generate R$1.1 billion for Ceará GDP over the next 30 years.
Ceará connected to Miami and China
This latest new investment in Ceará confirms the state’s position as a telecommunications hub. The Monet cable arrived in Fortaleza at the Praia do Futuro beach and when it becomes operational in early 2017 will link Ceará with Santos in Sao Paulo state and Miami.
Angola Cables is responsible for the installation of both the cable and a data centre, also situated in Praia do Futuro. The large data centre – it’s expected to have around 3,000 square metres – has an investment total of US$300 million and will be a major source of high-end employment in the area. Angola Cables plan to install a second cable connecting Brazil with Africa in the very near future.
Five other projects are also in the fibre optic cable funnel. The most advanced is a cable connecting Fortaleza with China via Kribi in Cameroon. Two companies – the Chinese Huawei and Cameroon Camtel – are involved in the project and according to Ceará authorities, there’s a strong possibility that they will also set up a data centre in Fortaleza.
New Technological Park in Fortaleza
The new investment in Ceará in fibre optic cables has led the state authorities to set up a technological park in Fortaleza. The project, announced in June, will be based around Praia do Futuro.
“Cables don’t generate business, but data centres do and lots of it,” said Ceará Governor Camilo Santana. He pointed to the endless possibilities based around a fibre optic cable such as computer centres, telecommunications companies, marketing firms and content creators.
“Ceará and Fortaleza are becoming a communications hub in the world and a major benchmark for technology,” he said. “This provides us with an essential framework for opening new doors to attract other new investment in Ceará.”
Koreans to open gas plant
An additional boost to new investment in Ceará came with the news that the Korean Gas Corporation (Kogas) had signed an agreement with the authorities to install a regasification unit in Pecem Port. The unit, built by a consortium of Korean companies including Kogas and Daewoo, will have the capacity to handle 12 million cubic metres of liquefied natural gas a day.
Total investment in the gas plant runs to US$600 million and the gas will supply companies operating in the Free Trade Zones at Pecem Port. The agreement, signed in Seoul in early September, will bring investment from another Korean company to Ceará, a state already home to Korean businesses such as the CSP steel production company at Pecem.
“Ceará is really making its mark on the international business scene,” said Dies Poppeliers, Managing Director of BRIC Group. “Its strategic location provides excellent opportunities both for industry and telecommunications. The latest new investment in Ceará will undoubtedly create plenty of employment, particularly for the professional sector, which is only good news for the high-end property market in Ceará.”
An investment company specialising in global real estate opportunities, BRIC Group is currently developing The Coral resort, in Northeast Brazil, a luxury beachfront resort. BRIC Group also offers US real estate investments including turnkey properties in Florida and Houston, and land plots in Florida. BRIC Group has been creating wealth for its clients since 1996 and has offices in Brazil, Dubai (consulting office), Hungary, Spain and the US.
(Source: O Povo newspaper)
