The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) has pared back the P3 element of Contrecoeur terminal expansion project after receiving federal financing.
Originally, private partners were being sought to design, build, finance, operate and maintain (DBFOM) a new major container terminal as one of the leading elements of the port’s expansion in Quebec, overseeing both the water and land based elements of the development.
The MPA has now canceled that procurement, instead opting for P3 to be used on just the landside works and operations elements, with the MPA acting as prime contractor on the marine works through a design-build approach.
According to the authority, this new approach will “make way for this new method to successfully carry out the project that is better suited to today’s reality”.
The authority had previously shortlisted three bidders for the original project, but explained that “discussions with the bidders did not lead to a result deemed satisfactory by the MPA after factoring in market trends, including interest rates and inflation”.
A request for proposals is expected to be released early next year for the landside package, which will utilize a DBFOM model, and will feature the delivery of a terminal fit with a rail connection.
The federal government has supplied C$150m towards supporting the project with the investment hailed as a “giant step towards improving the fluidity of Canada’s supply chain”.