By rosebell
On December 17, the Norwegian Coastal Administration’s (NCA) event, which was a tender conference for the Stad ship tunnel, was attended by almost 130 people and attracted more than 60 contractors and suppliers major Norwegian and Nordic tunnel builders, such as Skanska, AF Gruppen, Hæhre, LNS, Veidekke, and Implenia Norway, contractors from Spain, France, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic, and three contractors from China, whereas the Chinese companies rank among the largest contractors in the world.
Also the conference included subcontractors specialising in concrete production, fender solutions, construction, civil engineering, and electrical systems.
According to Harald Inge Johnsen, the NCA’s project manager for the tunnel: “We are very pleased with the turnout.This is a landmark project unlike anything else globally, and it seems many contractors want to be a part of it. In this phase, it is essential for us to engage with large contractors who can take on primary responsibility for the project, either independently or in collaboration with others. At the same time, the conference serves as a valuable platform for subcontractors to pitch their products and services to the major firms.”
Before outlining competition terms, qualification requirements, and technical specifications detailing what the main contractor will build, an overview of the project was provided by the NCA (Kystverket) at this conference.
While this tender conference followed the tender announcement of the design-build contract at the beginning of December, the deadline for companies to register their interest to participate is January 31.
“This is the next critical milestone for the project. January 31 is a firm deadline that the contractors must meet,” said Johnsen.
In order to being posted in the NCA’s procurement tool, Mercell, the esveral questions and comments that emerged during the tender conference will be compiled and addressed in a summary.
Johnsen also added: “All interested suppliers must register in this tool, as all further communication regarding the tender, including questions, answers, and any potential changes, will take place there.”
As the world’s first full-scale ship tunnel, the Stad ship tunnel is due to be built by a main contractor through a turnkey contract and it is going to improve the navigability and safety of maritime transport around Stad, one of the most weather-exposed and dangerous stretches along the Norwegian coast.
The ship tunnel with 1.7km long (2.2km including entrance areas), 50m high, and 36m wide, will be constructed at the narrowest point of the Stad Peninsula, between the Moldefjord and Kjødepollen, in the Vanylvsfjord and is slated to allow vessels up to the size of the Coastal Route/Hurtigruten to safely navigate past Stadlandet.
