Oman’s Transport & Communications Ministry has received bids from 19 companies for the $120m expansion of the general cargo terminal at Salalah port.

The bid deadline was 27 September, after two delays from the original date of 12 July (MEED 7:9:10).

The expansion of the general cargo terminal involves building an additional 1,200 metres of multi-purpose berths, a new northern breakwater, facilities for dry-bulk commodities and a new liquids jetty. The expansion will increase capacity at the terminal to 40 million tonnes of dry-bulk commodities and five million tonnes of liquid products each year.

The Transport & Communications Ministry is expected to award the contract in early 2011.

The bidders include:

• Bam Contractors (Netherlands-based)
• Afcons Infrastructure (India)
• Galfar Engineering & Contracting (local)
• Consolidated Contractors Company (Athens-based)
• Ballast Nedam (Netherlands-based)
• Archirodon Construction Company (Riyadh-based)
• Hindustan Construction Company (India)
• Sambu Construction Company (South Korea)
• Essar Ports & Terminals (India)
• Muhibbah Engineering (Malaysia-based)
• Strabag (Austria)
• National United Engineering and Contracting Company (local)
• Carillion Alawi (local)
• 115 Construction and Installation (local)
• Simplex Infrastructures (India)
• Gammon India
• China Harbour Engineering Company
• STX Construction Company (South Korea)
• GS Engineering & Construction Company (South Korea)

The expansion of the terminal is part of the $645m expansion of the Port of Salalah that will be carried out over a period of 20 years.