TWO contracts have been awarded by the company developing a new city in the Neom economic zone in Saudi Arabia, for the construction by drilling and blasting of 28km of tunnels through rock to accommodate high-speed passenger services and freight trains.
TWO contracts have been awarded by the company developing a new city in the Neom economic zone in Saudi Arabia, for the construction by drilling and blasting of 28km of tunnels through rock to accommodate high-speed passenger services and freight trains.
The contracts have been awarded by Neom, a company owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, which is developing the economic zone city of the same name in Tabuk province in the northwest of the country.
Tunnelling work has been divided into two geographical lots, with the first awarded to a joint venture of FCC Construction, China State Construction Engineering and Shibh Al-Jazira Contracting.
The second contract has been to a joint venture of Samsung C&T, Saudi Archirodon and Hyundai Engineering and Construction.
Neom aims to be carbon neutral by 2030, and rock excavated during tunnelling will be processed for reuse in the concrete tunnel linings and other projects to ensure minimal impact on the environment.
Covering 26,500km2 along the Red Sea, the Neom economic area is being developed as a smart city and tourist destination at a cost of $US 500bn. Its energy needs are intended to be met entirely met from renewable sources.
Neom will include The Line, a car-free, zero-carbon city with 1 million inhabitants and no roads, laid out as a 170km belt with services and transport infrastructure built underground.
Saudi Arabia aims to complete the first section of Neom by 2025.
“The sheer scope and scale of the tunnelling work to be undertaken highlights the complexity and ambition of the project,” says Neom CEO, Mr Nadhmi Al-Nasr.
“At Neom, we are inspiring a new way of living, making seamless mobility possible, reducing emissions and protecting our environment. We are not only making a giant leap for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but we are also establishing a model for sustainable living around the world.”
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