Earlier this month the Pestana Group filed an urgent motion with the courts to suspend, effective immediately, the Permit to Use National Maritime Space (TUPEM) granted to Mota-Engil. The Hotel Group made the move in order to stop Mota-Engil from dredging on the Tagus estuary.


A Pestana spokesperson said that ‘dredging on the delta zone of the Tagus estuary will have irreversible impacts on the regional economy, as well as the environment’, adding that the TUPEM violates national and European law.


The Setúbal and Sesimbra Port Administration (APSS) already announced that it will be challenging the motion, claiming that dredging is supported by previous environmental studies. APSS further defends its position by stating that the intervention is necessary for the enhancement of ‘sailing safety’, while improving the port’s capacity ‘to receive larger ships with better environmental performances’.