Estimated to be worth $400 million-500 million, the contract involves a 765,000-cubic-metre-an-hour (cm/h) expansion of the existing seawater system. Phase 2 covers 561,120 cm/h and phase 3 203,880 cm/h. The scope of works will include the construction of seawater intake and discharge channels, pump substations, a chlorination plant, cooling towers, heat exchangers, two pumping stations, pipeline manifolds and instrumentation and control systems.

QP will supply two long-lead items - the main seawater cooling pumps and the glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) piping - which will be supplied to the successful EPC contractor. Technip is the front-end engineering and design (FEED) contractor and has also drawn up studies and conceptual designs for the proposed expansion. A tender for the EPC contract is due to be issued soon, with on-site work scheduled to start in early 2006. The project will be completed in phases, with the first facilities due to be handed over in October 2007. Final project completion is targeted for early 2009.

The expansion of the cooling system is being undertaken to cater for new industry in the Ras Laffan industrial area. Phase 1 was completed in 2003 by CCC with Chiyoda. It involved the construction of a 300,000-cm/h facility.

More recently, CCC was awarded a letter of intent for the engineering, procurement, installation and commissioning (EPIC) contract on the LNG1/W4 project, which will see the planned Qatar Liquefied Gas Company II (Qatargas II)complex and the proposed Ras Laffan ethylene cracker connected to RLIC's existing seawater cooling system. The award was valued at just over $100 million (MEED 24:6:05).