Oman is expected to award the contract for the OR50m ($130m) expansion of the general cargo terminal at Salalah port in August.

The expansion project is expected to take one and a half years to complete. An award was initially expected in early 2011.

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 project also involves building 1,266 metres of multi-purpose berths, with drafts of 18 metres, a new breakwater and a new liquids jetty.

Oman’s Transport & Communications Ministry received 19 bids for the deal on 27 September 2010 (MEED 7:9:10).

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 (Geneva-based)
• Hindustan Construction Company (India)
• Sambu Construction Company (South Korea)
• Essar Ports & Terminals (India)
• Muhibbah Engineering (Malaysia)
• Strabag (Austria)
• National United Engineering and Contracting Company (local)
• Carillion Alawi (local/UK)
• 115 Construction and Installation (local)
• Simplex Infrastructures (India)
• Gammon India (India)
• China Harbour Engineering Company (China)
• STX Construction Company (South Korea)
• GS Engineering & Construction Company (South Korea)

The expansion of the general cargo terminal is part of the $645m expansion of Salalah port that will be carried out over 20 years.