MEDCO dredging contract for ‘New Port Project’

The contract also includes the dredging of the basin as well as land reclamation for a naval base of approximately 4.5 km² and the construction of the two outer breakwaters at both sides of the channel.

The New Port is located between Al Wakrah and Mesaeed, south of Doha, and will be developed in several phases, including container terminals with a combined annual capacity in excess of 6m TEU per annum.

MEDCO will be responsible for dredging a 20km access channel and the naval base basin, the land reclamation with dredged materials, construction of rubble mound outer breakwaters at each side of the channel, construction of rock revetment at the naval base, supply and installation of navigation aids and environmental mitigation (relocation of coral, sea grass and mangrove that would be affected by the works).

The work includes the dredging of approximately 45 million m³ of mainly hard rock materials. The project has undergone a rigorous and thorough environmental assessment and the strict environmental conditions resulting from these studies will have to be strictly adhered to by all parties involved in the project.

MEDCO will deploy its self propelled dredger Al Jarraf, which was recently delivered in Singapore. In addition, two self propelled seagoing rock cutter suction dredgers will be deployed to execute the assignment. The work started last month and will be completed early in 2016.

MEDCO is a partnership between the Qatari company United Development Company (UDC, 45.1%), Qatar Holding (Government of Qatar, 10%) and Belgium’s DEME Group (44.1%).