Six contractors are competing for the opportunity to construct the Stad ship tunnel.
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Among them are two Norwegian companies, one French, one Spanish-Norwegian, and two Chinese bidders.
The competition was announced on November 29 last year.
By the deadline for submitting a request to participate, which was January 31, the following bidders (contractors/joint ventures) had expressed interest:
Bidder 1: Joint venture: Skanska Norge AS and Vassbakk og Stol AS (Norway)
Bidder 2: AF Gruppen Norge AS (Norway)
Bidder 3: Joint venture: PowerChina International Group Limited, Sichuan Road and Bridge Corporation Ltd., Sinohydro Bureau 7 Ltd., PowerChina Huadong Engineering (China)
Bidder 4: Eiffage Génie Civil (France)
Bidder 5: Joint venture: China Road and Bridge Corporation, CCCC Second Highway Engineering Co. Ltd., CCCC Highway Consultants Co. Ltd. (China)
Bidder 6: Joint venture: Acciona Construcción S.A and Bertelsen og Garpestad AS (Spain/Norway)
The Norwegian Coastal Administration will now examine the documents submitted by the bidders to check whether the potential contractors have the necessary certificates, technical and professional qualifications, and sufficient experience in similar work to that of the ship tunnel project, which will be 50m high and 36m wide, about seven times the size of a road tunnel.
The aim of the Stad ship tunnel project is to improve the accessibility and safety of shipping beyond Stad, probably the most weather-exposed and dangerous stretch of sea along the Norwegian coast.
The Stad tunnel will be built at the narrowest point of the Stad peninsula, between Moldefjorden and Kjødepollen in the Vanylvsfjorden.
The tunnel will be 1.7 km long (2.2 km with the entrance areas), with dimensions to allow vessels as large as the Coastal Cruise/Hurtigruten to navigate safely past Stadlandet.
If everything goes as planned, the contract could be signed in the fall of 2025, with construction starting in early 2026. This is contingent on receiving bids within the project’s budget framework.
"The greatest challenge for the contractors will likely be the tunnel portals. These will be as large as the tunnel itself - 50 meters high and about 40 meters wide. That is approximately seven times higher than a road tunnel," says Stad ship tunnel project manager, Harald Inge Johnsen.
The combinations of ocean currents and subsea topography create particularly complex and unpredictable wave conditions.
Very high waves of up to 30 meters can come from different edges at the same time and create critical situations for vessels.
Heavy waves can also linger for several days after the wind has calmed down, which in turn leads to difficult sailing conditions even on quiet days.
Since World War II there have been several shipwrecks and near misses on Stadhavet, and 34 people have drowned. The completion of the Stad ship tunnel significantly enhances the safety of seafarers.
Forecasts of more frequent extreme weather and generally less acceptance of risk in society further increases the need for the tunnel.
In bad weather, fishing vessels are unwilling to cross Stadhavet to deliver goods due to increased wait time and catch deterioration, limiting delivery options, and prices. Furthermore, the aquaculture industry has lost income due to wait time in factories.
The estimated construction period is approximately five years. ■