Montreal moves ahead with Contrecoeur project

The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) has launched the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the Contrecoeur expansion project’s Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain (DBFOM).

The goal is to enter into a long-term agreement to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the Contrecœur terminal.The RFQ will remain open to national and international industry players for the next three months.

More than 100 participants attended a virtual technical briefing open to all potential bidders on November 10.

“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,” said Martin Imbleau, president and CEO of the MPA.

“It will be a green, modern and innovative terminal with facilities that feature extensive electrification. 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 and, among other criteria, in generating new shipping volumes.

The conditions specified in the Decision Statement issued by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada must also be met.

Contrecoeur 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.

Located in an industrial zone, the Contrecœur land reserve was acquired more than 30 years ago by the Montreal Port Authority. 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 (TEUs).