Royal Boskalis Westminster (Boskalis) has been awarded a €480-million ($533 million) contract for the design, procurement and construction of a bulk liquid berth terminal at the Duqm port in Oman.

The contract will be officially awarded by Sezad (Special Economic Zone Authority Duqm) subject to its satisfying certain conditions, says Boskalis.

The contract includes the engineering, design, procurement and construction of a bulk liquid berth terminal, states the Dutch dredging company.

The Port of Duqm is a an existing strategic dry dock and industrial free trade zone located in the Al Wusta Region between Muscat and Salalah and has been designated as a special economic zone. The $1-billion bulk terminal is being developed by the Oman government to support a major refinery.

According to Boskalis, various dredging and civil activities will be executed under its responsibility, including the deepening of the port basin to a depth of 18 m, reclamation of new land, the construction of a one-km-long quay wall, a double berth jetty island and stone revetment. The dredging scope will be executed by the new mega cutter Helios, which will be taken into service mid-2017, and a jumbo hopper and medium-sized trailer suction hopper dredger..

According to the company, the design activities are likely to start shortly and equipment will be mobilised by the middle of the year. The project is due for completion in 2020.