Iraq’s Ministry of Transport is reviewing the prequalification documents submitted by firms for the build, operate, transfer (BOT) contract for the first container terminal at the Grand al-Faw Port in the southeast of the country.

According to a source familiar with the scheme, the ministry received prequalification documents for the port’s Terminal A on 1 July and began the review process in mid-August.

The list of shortlisted firms is expected to be announced before end of 2017.

In May, MEED reported that the ministry was undertaking discussions with Chinese, Southeast Asian and European firms for the contract, which includes dredging work as well as the construction of container terminals and other buildings at the port.

The discussions led to a formal procurement process, which was launched in June.

The scope of work to be offered to the prequalified companies includes:

• dredging 35 million cubic metres of cohesive soil for the port basin and the access channel
• 11 million cubic metres of filling with treated dredged material
• 250,000 cubic metres of rock revetment
• construction of 1,750km of quay allowing a further deepening to 18 metres draught
• about 1.5 million cubic metre extension of the west breakwater
• 4km of roads for the connection with the new Terminal A
• a 1,750m x 500m container terminal including pavement, equipment, buildings

In addition, the selected concessionaire is expected to provide all required services to operate the port, including power and water networks as well as building an 80km road inking Al-Faw with Um Qasr Port and a 2km tunnel connecting to Khor al-Zubair Port.

The successful bidder is also expected to finance the cost of the remaining part of the western breakwater contract, which is estimated at €200m ($239.3m).

Work on the western breakwater was awarded in 2013 to South Korea’s Daewoo Engineering & Construction.

It is understood that the eastern breakwater, awarded to the Netherlands-registered Archirodon, has been completed.

The total budget for developing the port is estimated at up to $8bn.

Al-Faw peninsula is located in the extreme southeast of Iraq. It adjoins Iraq’s Basra and Iran’s Abadan regions.