Five companies, including a consortium formed of Hyundai and industrial steel company Concast, have responded to a global tender for the development of an international container transhipment terminal at Vizhinjam, India.
Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd (VSL) issued Requests for Qualification (RFQs) to build the port superstructure which involves a deepwater port and container transhipment terminal.
Alongside the aforementioned consortium comprising of Hyundai and Concast, comes meaty opposition in the form of Gammon Infrastructure, Essar Ports, Adani Ports & Special Economical Zone. A second consortium formed of Spanish construction firm Obrascon Huarte Lain and India’s Srei Infrastructure Finance have also placed a bid.
The project is expected to cost around US$820 million.
The same five companies have applied for a separate RFQ which involves engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the project.
The deadline for the initial tender ended on the 10th March, whilst the latter is scheduled to close later this year, on 30th June.
Despite this, VSL has indicated that they would prefer that the contractor, who succeeds in gaining the first tender, will immediately gain preference over securing the EPC contract.
This follows new thinking by the central government, in regards to reducing any complications that would come from handing the build to separate contractors.
All submissions will be reviewed by the port’s technical and legal consultants, before being reported to an empowered committee headed by the chief secretary. Bidders found to have met the required parameters would then be asked to submit proposals for consideration.
