Major works, roughly estimated in the region of RO110 million and divided in two packages, for building infrastructure at Duqm port will be tendered within weeks by the Ministry of Transport and Communications.
The first development package is for building all the support infrastructure, the gate, offices and roads, while the second package is for setting up concrete slabs, the rails for cranes and facilities for utilities like electricity and water sewage.
"Now, the Ministry of Transport and Communications is heavily focusing on these two packages. These are to be issued in parallel and the work will be completed together. The goal is to complete the work at the target time (for full-fledged operation) of the first quarter of 2015,” said Reggy Vermeulen, Commercial Director of Port of Duqm, told Times of Oman in an exclusive interview.
Vermeulen said the government has so far invested RO714 million for the port, while the investment for Oman Drydock was RO190 million. He said the whole port development, which is estimated to cost approximately $2 billion, is divided into seven packages.
The early operations phase centers on a 300 meter-long quay wall that is ready to receive ships carrying project cargos. The 300-metre quay is part of a 2.2 kilometer-long commercial quay, whose substructure is substantially complete. The commercial quay is divided into three main areas -" 300 meters of cargo terminal, 1.6-kms of container terminal and 300 meters for a dedicated break bulk terminal for mining and mineral companies.
Duqm is the only port in Oman capable of receiving over-sized cargos.
Times of Oman
19 September
