Norsk

Contractors gather at Stadlandet

Contractors are gathered at Stad
Group photo. Representatives from the Norwegian Coastal Administration (Kystverket) and contractors conduct an inspection near the tunnel area in Kjøde.
Photo:Samferdselsfoto/ Tor Arne Aasen / Kystverket

The Norwegian Coastal Administration gathered the four contractor groups competing to construct the Stad ship tunnel for clarification meetings and site inspections at the tunnel areas.

Published
Updated
By Nedregotten, Sveinung.

– The purpose of the site inspection was to familiarize the contractors with the construction areas in and around the ship tunnel. It's beneficial to have seen the landscape and future tunnel and industrial areas when planning the contract and submitting bids for the project, says Project Manager Harald Inge Johnsen.

Several bidders also conducted additional inspections of the tunnel areas independently to study the tunnel entrance areas more closely.

The site inspection was part of a two-day gathering (March 10 and 11), which included both plenary presentations and one-on-one meetings with the four contractor groups qualified to bid on the construction of the ship tunnel. The contractors were well-represented, with seven to eight representatives each.

– We had the opportunity to present important aspects and possible changes in the tender documents, while the contractors could ask questions and receive clarifications. I believe it was a useful gathering for all parties, says Johnsen.

Clarification Meetings

The gathering at Stad Hotel in Leikanger was the first round of clarification meetings between the NCA and the contractors. These meetings aim to provide contractors with the best possible basis for preparing their bids.

– We will most likely have three more clarification meetings. The next one is scheduled in Ålesund on March 25 and 26, says Johnsen.

The third and fourth clarification meetings are scheduled for May.

Four bidders competing for the contract

The four bidders competing to build the ship tunnel and who were represented at Stad this week are:

  • Joint venture: Skanska Norge AS and Vassbakk og Stol AS (Norway)

  • AF Gruppen Norge AS (Norway)

  • Eiffage Génie Civil (France)

  • Joint venture: Acciona Construcción S.A and Bertelsen & Garpestad AS (Spain/Norway)

It seems the contractors are well underway with their work. They had thoroughly familiarized themselves with the tender documents, and we had good discussions. However, deadlines are tight moving forward, so both we and the contractors must continue working diligently to meet the bid submission deadline, which we have jointly moved to Tuesday, June 3, says Johnsen.

Next Steps

The initial bids are to be submitted by June 3 (previous deadline was May 30). The bids will then be evaluated and negotiated, possibly in multiple rounds, before selecting the best offer based on the award criteria.

The goal is to sign the contract in the fall of 2025 and commence construction in 2026. This is contingent upon receiving bids within the project's budget framework. The Norwegian Coastal Administration estimates the construction period to be approximately five years.

About the Stad ship tunnel

The Norwegian Coastal Administration (Kystverket) has been tasked with building the Stad Ship Tunnel, the world's first full-scale ship tunnel. The construction project will be carried out by a main contractor through a turnkey contract. It is scheduled to be announced in 2024, with construction potentially commencing in 2025.

The objective of the Stad Ship Tunnel project is to improve the navigability and safety of maritime transport around Stad, likely the most weather-exposed and dangerous stretch of sea along the Norwegian coast. Additionally, the project is to be optimized to extract other benefits.

The ship tunnel will be constructed at the narrowest point of the Stad Peninsula, between the Moldefjord and Kjødepollen, in the Vanylvsfjord. The tunnel will be 1.7 kilometers long (2.2 km including entrance areas), 50 meters high, and with a width of 36 meters. This means that vessels up to the size of the Coastal Route/Hurtigruten will be able to safely navigate past Stadlandet.

The Norwegian Coastal Administration is a transport agency under the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Fisheries. Our vision is to develop the coast and ocean areas into the world's safest and cleanest. The Stad Ship Tunnel is a part of this effort.

Go to top