Belgian company hired for $59 million to carry out Hulhumale' second phase reclamation

Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has revealed today that Belgium based company Dredging International has been commissioned to carry out reclamation work for Hulhumale’ second phase for a sum of $59 million (MVR909 million).

HDC’s Managing Director Suhail Ahmed said that the awarding letter was sent to Dredging International last Thursday.

“A survey of the available sand areas will be conducted before the agreement is signed. They’ll come before the 15th of next month to conduct the survey,” Suhail said. “The final price will be determined after the survey.”

Suhail said that Dredging International had proposed to complete reclamation of the total planned area of 240 hectares within 8 months and to finish construction of breakwaters within 1 year of commencement of the project.

“We’re handing the project over on a contractor finance basis. We decided to hire this company because the price and duration proposed them was better than the others,” Suhail said.

He said that the former resort island of Club Faru near Hulhumale’ will be absorbed into the Hulhumale’ land by the time the reclamation work for the second phase is complete. The government is now working on the transfer of Club Faru to HDC, to be kept as an uninhabited island, he said.

Suhail also said that areas near Gulheefalhu and Hura will be surveyed to determine if the areas are suitable for sand to be collected for the reclamation.

“They’ll try to get sand from the nearest places possible. A prices will then be guaranteed,” Suhail said.