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Information for potential contractors for the Stad ship tunnel

Photo:Kystverket/Snøhetta/Plomp

The Norwegian Coastal Administration has published the tender for the construction of the Stad Ship Tunnel on Doffin. The deadline for submitting a request to participate in the competition is January 31, 2025, at 12:00 PM.

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The plan is to sign the contract in the fourth quarter of 2025, which could allow construction to begin in early 2026.

Stad ship tunnel is a fairway, with a tunnel in the form of a long mountain hall and entrance structures as main elements.

This is intended as a major fixed-price design and construct contract, which will be acquired after a competition with negotiation. Simplified, the work includes:

  • Preparation of an appropriate execution plan and detailed design
  • Logistics
  • Establishment of intersections / tunnel mouths
  • Tunneling - similar mountain halls (caverns)
  • Establish structures - similar solutions as for quay and pier facilities
  • Mass handling
  • Technical installations

– Stad ship tunnel is a spectacular and somewhat challenging project, unique in the world today. We believe this will attract many contractors, which may lead to strong competition that can positively impact quality and price, says Harald Inge Johnsen, project manager for the Stad Ship Tunnel at the Norwegian Coastal Administration.

More balanced competition framework

Johnsen notes that the NCA has made several changes to the competition framework since the previous market conference in 2023, including adjustments based on contractor feedback:

– Adjustments have been made to the risk profile, including the allocation of risk. The project owner now primarily follows the standardized responsibilities in accordance with NS-8407, and the project owner will conduct additional ground surveys and take on the quantity risk associated with some processes. This includes, for instance, that all rock support work in tunnel and surface areas will be settled based on adjustable unit prices. The same applies to injection work and water and frost protection work, Johnsen explains.

He points out that the entire competition framework is now designed to be more balanced and predictable for both the project owner and the contractor. Contractors can find additional details in the documents available on Doffin.

Tender conference 

The Norwegian Coastal Administration arranged a tender conference at the Radisson Blu Hotel at Gardermoen on December 17 2024. The conference brought together nearly 130 participants from over 60 contractors and suppliers.

What happens now?

— We are in a prequalification phase aimed at qualifying contractors for the construction project. Subsequently, three to five of these contractors will be invited to submit bids, which we will evaluate and negotiate - often through several rounds -before selecting the most qualified bidder, says Johnsen.

The deadline for submitting a request to participate in the competition is January 31, 2025, at 12:00 PM.

The tender has been announced as a design-and-build contract on the Norwegian database for public procurement announcements.

 

We recommend that contractors stay updated by visiting this website, available at the short URL kystverket.no/entreprenor. Here, we will provide information about the process as soon as any changes occur.

For inquiries and questions about the project, please contact:

Project manager Harald Inge Johnsen, harald.johnsen@kystverket.no, Phone: 91512885

 

Kystverket has outlined the following tentative timeline for the tender process:

Planned milestones

Tentative dates

Tender announcement

01.December

Tender conference for interested contractors

17. December, Radisson Blu Gardermoen, kl.10 -13

Deadline for request to participate  

31. January 25

Notification of qualification and invitation to selected qualified contractors to submit proposals  

March 2025

Joint clarification meeting and site visit at Stad, followed by separate clarification meetings with selected contractors (3-5)  

March – May 2025

Deadline for first proposal submission  

01. June 2025

Negotiation phase  

August - September 2025

Deadline for final proposal submission  

October 2025

  

 

 

  

 

Read more abouth the conference

The Stad Ship tunnel project

Stadhavet Sea is the most exposed and treacherous stretch of water along the Norwegian coast. The goal of the project is to ensure a safer passage through Stad.

KEY FIGURES

  • Length: 1700 metres for the tunnel run. 2200 metres from the tip of the lead construction to the tip at the other side. 
  • Height from base to ceiling: 50 metres
  • Width between the walls of the tunnel: 36 metres
  • Height from sea surface to ceiling: 33 metres
  • Cross-sectional area: 1661 m²
  • Volume of rock to be removed: Approx. 3 million m³. Equal to approx. 5,4 million m³ of blasted rock – which is equal to approx. 750 000 lorry loads.
  • Estimated cost of construction: Approx. NOK 5,04 billion (2024, including VAT)
  • Estimated construction time: Approx. 5 years

CONSTRUCTION

Conventional blasting, with tunnel drilling rigs and bench rigs, is planned.

Three different alternatives for the use of rock masses from the tunnel construction are being investigated, including the establishment of a new commercial area locally.

THE PROJECT

  • The Norwegian Coastal Administration devised a concept study (KVU 2010) covering the following alternatives: ‘The zero alternative’ (with no new measures), ‘Small tunnel’ and ‘Big tunnel’.
  • A quality assurance process (KS1 report) has also been carried out for KVU 2010, commissioned by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Finance.
  • In the National Transport Plan 2014-2023, the Government said that they wanted to proceed with a preliminary project for KS2, based on the ‘Big tunnel’ alternative. This was considered to have greater potential benefits.
  • Positive effects, such as the value of moving traffic from road to sea, safety and increased tourism, as well as positive effects for the fishing industry and other industries have not been calculated.
  • Stad ship tunnel will be the world’s first full-scale ship tunnel of this size.
  • In 2017 Norconsult AS and Dr. Techn. Olav Olsen AS delivered a technical preliminary project for the ship tunnel. The report includeed the topics lead structures, entrance structures, road bridges, portals, excavation and embankment, sailing through the tunnel, roads, electrical and telecommunications installations, fire and risk, ventilation, landscape designs and the environment
  • In the National Transport Plan 2018-2029, the Stad ship tunnel was included with a cost framework of NOK 2.7 billion. NOK 1.5 billion is included in the first part of the National Transport Plan, for the period 2018 to 2023.
  • The Norwegian Coastal Administration delivered its preliminary project to the Ministry of Transport in the spring of 2017. The project has been through external quality assurance phase 2 (KS2).
  • The Norwegian Coastal Administration carried out a project optimisation, with delivery on 15 June 2019, which resulted in a significant cost reduction.
  • In 2020, an extended quality assurance process (KS2) was carried out on the results of the project optimisation.
  • In February 2021, the Norwegian Coastal Administration received the letter of commission from the Ministry of Transport, which gave the green light to start preparations for construction. In March, the Ministry presented the proposition to the Storting on construction. 

Recent news articles about the project

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