'The ministry may include marine services as part of a new contract to build and operate the quays, or Tartous Port General Company [TPGC] may build the new quays,' Transport Minister Yarob Badr told MEED in mid-May.

The quays will have lengths of 470 metres and 266 metres and two roll-on, roll-off (ro-ro) berths. The existing port has 22 berths.

According to Badr, TPGC is currently evaluating two proposals from International Container Terminal Services (ICTS) of the Philippines and Terminalink, a subsidiary of France's CMA CGM, for a separate 10-year BOT contract to operate the container terminal at Tartous port.

Other development projects at the port include plans for a mixed-use tourist complex and the upgrade of yard six.

Covering a 6,000-square-metre area, the complex will involve the construction of a hotel, restaurants, a conference centre and car parking facilities. TPGC is seeking an investor to develop the remaining area of yard six, covering a 750,000-square-metre area.

Denmark's Kampsax was appointed in February 2004 by the European Investment Bank to support the restructuring of TPGC (MEED 31:3:06).

www.meed.com/transport