Page 13: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (October 1996)

Hcm-Padron Starts Engineering Far $270-M Container Port

Under a contract with the

Sultanate of Oman, Han-Padron

Associates, LLP has begun detailed engineering and bid pack- age preparation for Port Raysut (Mina Raysut), a new state-of-the- art container transshipment ter- minal which, along with a planned industrial and free trade zone, is intended to establish Oman as a major gateway for container traffic in the Middle East. The project is on an intensive fast-track sched- ule, with the first two berths, designed to accommodate the largest containerships afloat, scheduled to be in operation by the second quarter of 1998. Han-

Padron will also provide overall project management and construc- tion supervision services for the project.

The Sultanate of Oman is direct- ly funding the project's $128.7-mil- lion dredging and infrastructure costs. The Oman Ministry of

Communications has finalized an agreement for management and operation of Port Raysut with Sea-

Land, Inc., of Charlotte, N.C. Sea-

Land will provide additional investment of approximately $140 million for container handling equipment and other ancillary facilities for the first five years.

Once the port is in full operation, a free trade zone will be established nearby to serve a wide range of industrial and commercial ven- tures, with Oman's extensive nat- ural-gas resources providing a source of low-cost fuel and electric- ity

This plan will reportedly give

Oman the largest and best- equipped container handling facili- ty in the region, according to

Bernard M. Lubetkin, P.E.,

Hand Padron's partner-in-charge for the project. "Raysut, a small commercial port adjacent to the town of Salalah in southern Oman, is well-suited to become a major

Middle East shipping hub," said

Mr. Lubetkin. "It is strategically placed at a safe location on the main shipping route between

Europe and the Far East. A mod- ern, high-capacity port at Raysut will shorten long-distance trips by several days, while enabling small- er feeder vessels to very efficiently serve ports throughout the Gulf

Region and on the Indian subconti- nent, as well as along the coast of

East Africa."

The new port will reportedly accommodate the newest post-

Panamax container vessels. The water depths will initially be 49.2 ft. (15 m), designed to be deepened to 52.2 ft. (16 m). Four berths, totaling 4,000 ft. (1,220 m), will be built in the first phase of develop- ment, with a capacity of more than one million lifts, or 1.5 million

TEUs per year. Dockside facilities will include 12 high-speed, 50-ton- capacity container cranes designed to load ships up to 18 containers wide; 27 rubber-tired gantry cranes; and four toploaders.

Support facilities will include sys- tems for supplying ships with fuel and water, maintenance and administration building, container repair facilities, and storage facili- ties for 500 containers — all on approximately 125 acres of reclaimed land. In later phases the terminal may be enlarged to accommodate as many as 12 ships at a time. lUffilTViM

Jet engine technology for commercial marine use is no longer just blue sky. '-•xSj-.v ' I." 'Jk. •• e ' f. I-

MflHIfetfflAa^E^Lf".'.' > - . * rkiiZi • ' 'JLCAS ' .

GE Marine & Industrial Engines

Circle 238 on Reader Service Card

Aircraft engine technology has come down to earth and on to the high seas with GE marine gas turbines.

Over 40 GE LM500, LM1600 and LM2500 engines are either now 3.t se3. or have been selected to power a variety of commercial vessels ^^sa^L to speeds as high as 50 knots.

Ranging from 4.5 to 40 megawatts, GE aeroderiva- tive gas turbines provide a quiet, compact, lightweight power source with proven reliability for today's fast ferries, LNG tankers, fast cargo vessels and cruise liners. Low on vibrations, emissions and maintenance requirements, GE gas turbines are high on experience.

With over 6 million hours and 25 years behind us, no . t«* one can match our record at sea.

S the sky's no longer the limit. Learn more about the value of gas turbine power for commercial use by calling 01-513-552-5387 in the

U.S., 33-14-765-7619 in Europe, or 85-22-843-6668 in the Far East.

October, 1996 103