Doha delays port tender to investigate soil quality

01 October 2009

Study will give bidders better information for preparing prices

Qatar has extended the bid deadline for the first major construction contract on its multi-billion-dollar New Doha Port project until 14 February 2010 to give it time to investigate the quality of soil at the site.

The New Doha Port Steering Committee, funded by the Finance Ministry, had originally invited selected contractors to bid by 28 December for the contract to carry out marine work at the port.

The committee delayed the closing date to allow UK-based Gems to carry out a new soil study. Gems completed the soil investigation in 2009.

Bidders need detailed information on the soil quality because the contract involves excavating large amounts of material, and any unexpected ground conditions would increase costs substantially. In total, contractors will excavate 58 million cubic metres of material covering an area of 3.2 square kilometres to a depth of 18 metres.

New Doha Port will use the excavated material to build 8 kilometres of quay wall and a 5km-long rubble breakwater (MEED 7:8:09).

Australia’s WorleyParsons is the engineering consultant and US-based Aecom is the programme manager of the scheme.

New Doha Port will replace the existing Doha Port on the city’s corniche. Logistics groups have said Doha Port is too small to cope with the volume of cargo that Qatar wants to import and export.

The inland port at Mesaieed, south of Doha, will support industrial development in the area. The authorities want to finish the first phase of the project in 2014. It will have capacity of 2 million 20-foot-equivalent units (TEUs), a 15 metre-deep approach channel to the port, an 8-13.5 metre-deep harbour basin, and berths for general cargo, the Qatari and visiting navies, and emiri yachts. Two other planned phases will add 8 million TEUs a year.

Prospective bidders for New Doha Port project

  • Al-Habtoor Leighton Group
  • Al-Jaber Group with Daewoo Engineering & Contracting
  • Archirodon Construction (Overseas) with Consolidated Contractors Company and Teyseer Contracting
  • China Harbour Engineering Company
  • Dutco Balfour Beatty with HBK Contracting
  • Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Boskalis
  • Jan de Nul with STFA and Impregilo
  • Middle East Dredging Company with Dredging International and MT Hojgaard
  • Joint venture of Qatari Diar Investment Company and Vinci Construction Grands Projets with Sinohydro and Redco International
  • Van Oord with Bam International and Six Construct

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