The Norwegian Coastal Administration has selected COWI as technical advisor for the construction of the 2.2km long (including entrance areas), 50m high x 36m wide Stad Ship Tunnel. The tunnel will be constructed at the narrowest point of the Stad Peninsula, between Norway’s Moldefjord and Kjødepollen, in the Vanylvsfjord to improve the navigability and safety of ships around Stad – the most weather-exposed and dangerous stretch of the Norwegian coast.
The framework agreement for technical consulting services will see COWI assist the project with engineering work and consulting in all necessary technical disciplines including geotechnics, geology, structures, technical installations, corrosion, sustainability/environment, and health, safety, and environment (HSE).
The value of the agreement is estimated at 30 – 90M Norwegian kroner but this includes an option for temporary staffing which pushes the maximum contract value to 150M Norwegian kroner.
“The construction project itself will be carried out by a main contractor through a turnkey contract. It is scheduled to be tendered in 2024, with construction possibly commencing in 2025,” says Terje Skjeppestad, project manager for the Stad Ship Tunnel at the Norwegian Coastal Administration.
“With COWI on board, we have secured a skilled partner who will assist us with the ship tunnel. Our new technical advisor will be with us until the tunnel is fully constructed, meaning through both preparatory work and in the tendering, design, construction, and completion phases.”
COWI will complement the Norwegian Coastal Administration’s own project team, which currently consists of 10 employees.
“We aim to maintain a lean project organization and cannot have all expertise in-house. Through COWI, we will gain specialized expertise in various technical fields, which will complement our own professionals. Nevertheless, we anticipate that the project organization will expand significantly when we commence the actual construction of the ship tunnel, either through permanent hires, subcontracting, or utilizing the agreement with COWI,” says Skjeppestad.
“We have previously served as the design lead on the world’s longest suspension bridge. Projects that are the largest, longest, and first of their kind are something that excites us and that we want to be a part of. Additionally, we have experience and expertise, especially in tunnel operation and rock caverns, which we believe align well with the Stad Ship Tunnel project,” says COWI’s project leader, Espen Viddal, who is looking forward to getting started.
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