MPA launches RFQ for new terminal
By Adam Freill
ConstructionThe Montreal Port Authority has issued a Request for Qualifications for the largest expansion project in the history of the Port of Montreal.
The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) has launched the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain of the largest expansion project in the history of the Port of Montreal, the Contrecœur terminal.
With the support of Canada Infrastructure Bank and the Government of Quebec, the Port of Montreal and its partners plan to develop a new state-of-the-art container terminal able to handle up to 1.15 million containers.
By issuing this RFQ, the MPA aims to find the best possible strategic partnership that can meet the high standards of the project in terms of innovation, efficiency, social responsibility and sustainable development. The goal is to enter into a long-term agreement to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the terminal. The RFQ will remain open to national and international industry players for the next three months.
“The future Contrecœur container terminal will play a mission-critical role in developing the strategic St. Lawrence trade corridor and in supplying Quebec, Ontario and the U.S. Midwest. It will be a green, modern and innovative terminal with facilities that feature extensive electrification,” stated Martin Imbleau, president and chief executive officer of the MPA. “Our goal is to make it a world-class infrastructure and we seek partners who share our vision, our values and our ambitions.”
Bidders must demonstrate experience in the design, construction and operation of new port infrastructure, as well as other criteria.
The Contrecœur container terminal is the largest expansion project in the history of the Port of Montreal. The project has support from both levels of government, a favourable report from the Canadian Impact Assessment Agency, and a decision statement from the Minister of Environment and Climate Change allowing the project to proceed.
This stage of the procurement process will make it possible to select up to three bidders to participate in the Request for Proposals, set to begin in the second quarter of 2022.
Operated by the Montreal Port Authority, the Port of Montreal is the second largest port in Canada. It is a diversified transshipment centre that handles all types of goods: containerized and non-containerized cargo, liquid bulk and dry bulk. It is an intermodal hub with a service offering that is unique in North America, featuring its own rail network directly dockside connected to Canada’s two national rail networks.
