A total of 24 different companies from across the world forming nine different joint ventures have applied for prequalification for the 18km long immersed tube Fehmarnbelt fixed link project. The companies in the nine groups come from Denmark, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and South Korea. In addition, companies from the UK and USA are associated with some of the nine groups.
Following the end of the prequalification application period, Femern A/S has now prepared an initial overview of the international construction industry’s interest in the four main civil engineering contracts for the Fehmarnbelt project. The interested companies had until Friday, 18 January 2013 at 14.00 to submit their application documents. Each joint venture can apply for prequalification for more than one of the four main contracts.
“We’re very satisfied with the response,” says Steen Lykke, Technical Director, Femern A/S. “As this project represents one of civil engineering’s largest tunnel structures, we need the world’s best construction companies. Having received a sufficient number of applications, and bearing in mind that a joint venture or firm can apply for more than one contract, I’m optimistic that we’ll be able to prequalify a suitable number of professional and experienced contractors on each contract.”
Femern A/S will now evaluate the applications in detail and then decide which companies will be prequalified and consequently invited to submit bids. Steen Lykke emphasises: “As the selection of prequalified companies requires the utmost care and attention, the process will take a couple of months. After all we’re talking about contracts worth billions of euro. Once we’ve announced the prequalified companies in the spring of 2013, the tender process will begin.”
The four civil engineering contracts for the coast-to-coast link are: 1) Dredging of the seabed and land reclamation; 2) Construction of the northern section of the tunnel; 3) Construction of the southern section of the tunnel; 4) Construction of the portal structures, ramps and associated land facilities (click here for more details).
The consolidated construction estimate for the coast-to-coast link amounts to EUR 5.5bn (2008 prices). Final project approval will be effected by the Danish Parliament’s adoption of a Construction Act by the end of 2014. In Germany it is expected that the authorities will approve the project in 2015.
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