Construction work to start on Fos 2XL

Work on the €126m main contract starts in September and involves the construction of 1,200 m of quay and dredging to deepen the draught alongside by 2 m to a guaranteed 14.5 m. Taking two years to complete, the work will be carried out by the GTM Genie Civil et Services group, which includes Eiffage Construction, Sapiem – formerly Bouygues Offshore – and Dredging International.

The schedule includes a final four months for evaluation. Ahead of this, in spring 2009, the PMA will hand over the quay to the stevedoring companies for the landside development phase. Fos 2XL is due to be in service 12 months later.

The total cost of the project, including preparatory and access work, is more than €400m. Public finance of €206.4m is being provided by the PMA together with national and regional government grants. The combined Port Synergy and MSC outlay is estimated at €200–€250m. Fos 2XL is expected to generate some 4,500 direct and indirect jobs.