The local/Belgian Bel Hasa Six Construct has submitted a low bid of AED1.319bn ($359m) for the contract to build the second phase of the Jebel Ali sewage treatment plant.

The project client, Dubai Municipality, received bids from five other groups. The other bidders are:

• Al-Ghandi (local)/Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) (Athens-based)/WTE (Germany)/Wabag (India) – AED1.362bn
• China State Construction Engineering Corporation (China) – AED1.366bn
• China Petroleum (China) - AED1.459bn
• Samsung Engineering (South Korea) – AED1.481bn
• Kharafi National (Kuwait) – AED1.620bn

The municipality is planning to increase the capacity of the existing Jebel Ali sewage treatment plant (STP) by 375,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d), bringing it to 675,000 cm/d.

Phase 2 will use the existing infrastructure and roads that serve the first phase. It will also use some of the existing facilities, such as the mosque, administration building, labour accommodation and associated facilities. The Jebel Ali STP facility is located on a 670 hectare site to the south of the Jebel Ali-Lahbab Road and to the east of Emirates Road.

The construction contract will include a provisional option for one year operation and maintenance (O&M) of the entire STP, phases 1 and 2.

Dubai Municipality’s decision to move ahead with plans to more than double the capacity of the Jebel Ali sewage site is part of its efforts to expand and upgrade Dubai’s wastewater network.

The municipality is planning to build a deep-sewer tunnel and network in the Deira area of the emirate, similar to the Strategic Tunnel Enhancement Programme (STEP) under way in Abu Dhabi.

It received bids for two major consultancy contracts for the planned deep-tunnel sewer networks in the Deira and Bur Dubai areas in October.

The client received bids from six consultants for the supervision services contracts. According to sources close to the scheme, the US’ Parsons submitted the lowest price for the consultancy deals.

The full list of companies that submitted bids is:

• Parsons (US)
• Arcadis (Netherlands)
• Aecom (US)
• Dar al-Handasah (Lebanon)
• CH2M Hill (US)
• Italconsult (Italy)

Consultant contract 1: For the first contract, the municipality is seeking to appoint a consultant to provide supervision services for a 26-kilometre long tunnel in Deira.

Consultant contract 2: For the second contract, consultants are being sought to assist with the development of a 56km-long deep-tunnel sewer in Bur Dubai.

The municipality is also planning to tender four tunnel packages to take storm water from the Dubai World Central and Al-Maktoum International airport area in Jebel Ali out to the Gulf.