Bouygues Travaux Publics and Bymaro, two subsidiaries of Bouygues Construction, have just signed a contract with the Tangier Mediterranean Special Agency (TMSA) for the design and construction of a second deep-water port complex in Tangier. The 825 million euro operation (of which 335 million euros for Bouygues Construction) will be carried out by a consortium* with Saipem, Besix, and Somagec.

The consortium will be in charge of building a 3,800-metre long main breakwater and a 1,200-metre secondary breakwater, 2,800 metres of quay, and a 150-hectare logistics platform. The breakwaters will chiefly consist of four-cell precast concrete caissons and rubble-mound breakwaters armoured with accropodesTM. The caisson technique has a number of decisive advantages, above all that of considerably reducing environmental impact by having a smaller footprint and using fewer materials.

The works are expected to start in the first half of 2010 and will run for close to four and half years (51 months) with up to 1,500 people working on site at peak times.

Tangier Med 2 will complement the Tangier Med 1 complex - also built by Bouygues Travaux Publics, Bymaro, and Saipem - consisting of a container port (completed in 2006) and a ferry terminal (to be handed over in 2010). Tangier Med 2 will have two container terminals providing additional capacity for 5.2 million twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEU). The quays will provide berthing for 7 mega container vessels at a time. The total handling capacity of Tangier Port will thus rise to 8 million containers, 7 million vehicles, 700,000 trucks, and 10 million tonnes of hydrocarbons, making Tangier one of the largest port facilities on the Mediterranean and in Africa by 2014.

The contract illustrates Bouygues Construction's reputation for its knowhow in the construction of port infrastructures. Apart from this project in Morocco, the Group is currently building Busan container port in South Korea (84 hectares reclaimed from the sea, handover at end of 2011). In 2007 the Group handed over the second breakwater of Monaco Harbour, and in 2003, Caucedo container port in the Dominican Republic.

* The consortium comprises Bouygues Travaux Publics, the lead firm (20%), Bymaro (20%), Saipem (20%), Besix (20%), and Somagec (20%).