Brazil 2026: Five Infrastructure Sectors for Investors to Watch
Brazil enters 2026 with a robust and evolving infrastructure agenda, offering a broad range of investment opportunities across strategic sectors. A renewed focus on concessions, an expanding pipeline of projects, and continued regulatory consolidation are reinforcing the country's position as an increasingly attractive jurisdiction for long‑term infrastructure investment.
In this briefing, we highlight the infrastructure segments that are expected to attract the greatest investor attention in 2026, based on the size of the project portfolio, sector‑specific policy developments, and the federal government's current priorities.
1. Railways
Brazil's rail sector is expected to play a central role in the country's infrastructure agenda in 2026, supported by a more structured policy framework and an unprecedented volume of concession projects. In November 2025, the Ministry of Transport launched Brazil's first National Rail Concessions Policy, establishing strategic guidelines for sector development and enhancing regulatory certainty for private investment.
The rail project pipeline for 2026 consists of eight concession auctions, with total estimated investments of approximately BRL 140 billion. The portfolio includes major national corridors such as Ferrogrão, Malha Oeste, the PR/SC Corridor, the Rio Grande Corridor, the Mercosur Corridor, the Minas–Rio Corridor, the East–West Corridor, and the Southeast Rail Ring (Phases 1 and 2), reflecting a combination of logistics integration, export‑oriented corridors, and regional connectivity.
A key highlight is the Southeast Rail Ring, which is designed to connect the state of Rio de Janeiro to Espírito Santo, integrating industrial hubs and strategic ports into the national rail network. The project includes a direct connection to the Port of Açu, one of Brazil's leading private port complexes, and is expected to involve an initial investment of approximately BRL 6.6 billion, combining greenfield and brownfield segments.1
2. Federal Highways
Brazil's federal highway program continues to offer a substantial volume of investment opportunities in 2026, with a combination of new concession projects and restructured existing contracts. The federal government has announced 13 highway concession auctions that are expected for 2026, with total estimated investments of approximately BRL 148 billion.
Seven of these projects are based on newly developed studies, while six form part of the Contractual Optimization Plan, an initiative launched by the Ministry of Transport in 2023. The program allows for the restructuring of "stressed" concession agreements through competitive procedures, with the objective of restoring contractual balance, accelerating investments, and extending the operational viability of key highway assets.
The National Land Transportation Agency (ANTT) has already published the bidding documents for two projects scheduled for the first half of the year:
Rotas Gerais (Highway BR‑116/251 – Minas Gerais): auction scheduled for March 31, 2026, with initial investments estimated at BRL 5.82 billion;
Rota dos Sertões (Highway BR‑116/324 – Bahia and Pernambuco): auction scheduled for May 28, 2026, with initial investments estimated at BRL 4.41 billion.
According to the federal government's published timetable, additional concession processes expected in the first half of 2026 are contract optimization initiatives, including the Régis Bittencourt Highway, Rota Arco Norte, and Rota do Pequi, reinforcing the government's focus on upgrading and expanding the country's core road logistics network.
3. Sanitation
Brazil's sanitation sector continues to attract significant investor interest as the country advances in implementing its Sanitation Framework Law (Federal Law 14.026/2020), which marks its sixth year in 2026.
Following the momentum observed in 2025, continued growth in investment is expected, driven by the federal government's commitment to achieving universal access to water supply and sewage services by 2033, as mandated under the Sanitation Framework Law. These targets remain a central pillar of federal and subnational infrastructure policy and continue to guide project structuring across the country.
Key developments expected in 2026 include the privatization of COPASA, the sanitation utility of the state of Minas Gerais, as well as a series of regional sanitation concession auctions structured by BNDES (Brazilian Development Bank). These projects are organized into regional service blocks and include opportunities in Ceará, Paraíba, Rondônia, Goiás, Rio Grande do Norte, Porto Alegre, Alagoas, and Espírito Santo.
4. Ports
Brazil's port sector is expected to remain a priority area for infrastructure investment in 2026, supported by a growing project pipeline and more coordinated federal planning. Since 2025, the sector has been guided by the Port Sector Plan, which sets out government priorities and actions for the short and medium term.
Federal projects expected for 2026 include 18 port‑related auctions, as well as the concession of four access channels, covering assets across different regions of the country.2
The main highlight of the year is the Tecon Santos 10 project, a new container terminal at the Port of Santos (São Paulo), Brazil's largest port complex. The project contemplates a minimum concession fee of BRL 500 million and investments estimated at approximately BRL 6.4 billion, positioning it as one of the most significant port projects of 2026.
In addition, terminals at other important ports—such as Paranaguá (Paraná), Vila do Conde (Pará), and Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro)—are also expected to be leased in 2026, further expanding investment opportunities in the port sector.
5. Airports
Brazil's airport sector is also expected to see continued concession activity in 2026, with a mix of strategic assets and regional airports included in the federal government's pipeline. In total, 21 airports are expected to be offered under different concession and restructuring models.
A key development for the year is Galeão International Airport (Rio de Janeiro). An auction is scheduled for March 30, 2026, involving the so‑called assisted sale of the shares held by the current concessionaire.
The government is also considering the inclusion of additional airports to support a new concession process for Viracopos International Airport (São Paulo State), following the conclusion of its prior re‑bidding process in 2025.
Of the airports expected to be tendered in 2026, 20 are part of the second round of the AmpliAR Program, scheduled for the second half of the year, with estimated investments of approximately BRL 1.5 billion. Launched in 2025 by the Ministry of Ports and Airports, the program allows existing airport concessionaires to take over the operation of regional airports facing operational or financial challenges. Participation is structured through contractual adjustments, which may include economic‑financial rebalancing, reductions in concession fees, or extensions of concession terms, reinforcing the role of private operators in maintaining and expanding regional air connectivity.
NOTES
1 https://www.gov.br/transportes/pt-br/assuntos/concessoes/anel-ferroviario-do-sudeste-2013-ef-118/
2 https://www.gov.br/portos-e-aeroportos/pt-br/assuntos/copy_of_COLETIVABALANO_1401_1019.pdf
