Bechtel’s project management skills support delivery of port megaproject

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1 Sep 2012

Khalifa Port, the new state-of-the-art gateway to Abu Dhabi, today commenced commercial operations. Bechtel was responsible for project management of the port and Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad) for its client, Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC).

“With Khalifa Port and Kizad, we have committed to the Emirate’s largest infrastructure project that will serve ADPC and will be a key enabler in driving the economic diversification of Abu Dhabi by 2030. Bechtel has done a great job to ensure we deliver on time and within budget, as we expected from a company internationally renowned for delivering complex projects in a disciplined way,” said Tony Douglas, CEO, Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC).

“Collaboration and strong project management skills have been crucial to delivering this megaproject on time and within budget. We thank ADPC and our stakeholders for an excellent working relationship, which has made the process of building the port both smooth and efficient”, added Steve Kay, Bechtel’s Program Manager for Khalifa Port and Kizad.

Khalifa Port has the first semi-automated container terminal in the region. Together with Kizad, Khalifa Port is destined to become one of the most advanced trading hubs in the Middle East.

Sustainability was a key element on the project. Bechtel managed the design and build of the $240 million, eight-kilometer long, award-winning environmental protection breakwater to safeguard the Ras Ghanada coral reef during both port construction and operation. The company also implemented Abu Dhabi’s new Estidama (sustainability) regulations on a number of buildings in Khalifa Port, one of the first large projects in the UAE to do so

Bechtel helped ADPC to develop and incorporate innovative technology to make Khalifa Port one of the most efficient ports in the world. A single operating platform bringing together numerous systems was created for the port operating system, vessel traffic services (which monitors marine traffic) and gate management. The port operating system alone unites over 30 different technologies.

The delivery of Khalifa Port coincides with Bechtel’s 50th anniversary of continuously working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Previous projects have included the Murban oil field development and Dubai International Airport, one of the world’s largest and busiest airports, as well as a number of major oil and gas, and power projects.

Bechtel has overseen over 80 port and harbor projects across the world, 28 of these in the last decade.