Page 14 - DMEA Week 38 2021
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DMEA TERMINALS & SHIPPING DMEA
Iraq gives update
on Faw Port project
MIDDLE EAST IRAQ’S Transport Ministry intends to build Daewoo also built the port’s $1bn breakwater,
100 berths at the Grand Faw Port project, which which at 23 km long is the world’s largest.
the country hopes will turn it into a major tran- Faw will be built to handle 99mn tonnes per
shipment hub with a rail connection to Turkey year (tpy) of cargo, ranking it among the world’s
planned in competition to the Suez Canal. largest container terminals.
Inmar Al-Safi, information director at min- Meanwhile, maritime and logistics expert
istry affiliate the General Company for Ports Dean Mikkelsen was recently quoted by UAE
in Iraq, was quoted by the Iraqi News Agency publication The National as saying: “I have ques-
(INA) as saying that Daewoo of South Korea has tions on the feasibility of the rail side. It opens
completed the five main piers under a $2.7bn the door for massive bribes for purchasing land,
contract it was awarded in 2018 after having much of it tribally owned, with money that the
signed an earlier contract to build the port in government does not have.”
2013. He added: “The issues are the militias and
“Phase one of the project has almost been poor infrastructure. Rail infrastructure could
completed and it involved the construction of still become another target for terrorists in some
five main piers by the South Korean company,” areas.”
he said. In July, Oil Minister Ihsan Abdul Jabbar
Safi said that work has now been kicked off announced that a contract had been awarded
to build a world-scale subsea tunnel to link the to state-owned China National Chemical Engi-
port with the Umm Qasr Port and other facili- neering Co. (CNCEC) for the construction of
ties, noting that this is expected to be completed a 300,000 barrel per day (bpd) refinery on the
by 2025. Al-Faw peninsula under a build-own-oper-
He added: “The last phase of the project ate-transfer (BOOT) model.
includes the construction of nearly 100 quays He noted that the award was made following
that will serve the port.” These will be spread assurances from China’s Assets Supervision and
over around 12 km with a 30-km channel to be Administration Commission (SASAC) that it
dredged to accommodate container vessels. would provide full funding for the facility.
P14 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 38 23•September•2021
