Doha extends closing date for port bids

24 February 2010

Authorities plan to complete first phase of project in 2014

Qatar has extended the tender closing date for the first major construction contract on the New Doha Port project to 18 April.

It is the latest delay on the project, which has previously had bid closing date deadlines of 4 April, 4 March and 14 February.

The project client, the New Doha Port Project Steering Committee, declines to comment on why the latest extension has been given.

The prospective bidders for the excavation and quay wall construction contract include the UAE/Australian Al-Habtoor Leighton Group; South Korea’s Daewoo Engineering & Construction with the local Aljaber Engineering; Geneva-registered Archirodon Construction (Overseas) with Athens-based Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) and the local Teyseer Contracting; and Beijing-based China Harbour Engineering Company.

Other potential bidders include the UAE/UK Dutco Balfour Beatty with the HBK Contracting; South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Boskalis of the Netherlands; Belgium’s Jan de Nul  with Turkey’s STFA and Italy’s Impregilo; the local Middle East Dredging Company with Belgium’s Dredging International and Denmark’s MT Hojgaard; and the joint venture of the local Qatari Diar Investment Company and France’s Vinci Construction Grands Projets with China’s Sinohydro and the local Redco International.

Van Oord of the Netherlands with Bam International, also of the Netherlands, and Belgium’s Six Construct may also bid (MEED 2:10:09).

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

The New Doha Port will be built at Mesaieed, south of Doha. The port 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, an 8 to 13.5-metre deep harbour basin, and berths for general cargo, vessels from the Qatari and visiting navies, as well as emiri yachts.

Two other phases are also planned. This will add 8 million TEUs a year to the port’s capacity.

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