Global marine terminal operator DP World has signed two major contracts for civil construction work at its new Container Terminal 4 on a reclaimed island in Jebel Ali Port.

According to the contracts, Dubai-based construction company Dutco Balfour Beatty LLC will develop an operational yard area with a quay length of 1,200m during the first phase of the works, while the second constructor, BAM International Abu Dhabi LLC, will build a 400m bridge and adjacent causeways and the 2.2 km quay wall with an alongside depth of 18 metres, designed to accommodate mega container vessels.

CH2M HILL (Halcrow) is expected to deliver the civil works on the reclaimed island north of Jebel Ali’s Terminal 2, connected to the mainland by a 3,000 metre causeway.

Under the first phase of the project, Terminal 4 should add 3.1 million TEUs by 2018, taking Jebel Ali Port’s total capacity to 22.1 million TEUs. DP World said that the port will be equipped with at least 110 cranes with a total quay length of around 11,000 metres by that time.

“This terminal is the big idea that will change the way ports work in the future,” Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, DP World Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said.

“We are building Terminal 4 from the ground up, which enables us to future proof it for smart container ships emerging in the future.”

Furthermore, DP World will bring the total capacity to 7.8 million TEU at Terminal 4 in line with market demand under the second phase of the project, with an additional operational yard with a quay length of 1,000 metres that will be built by Dutco Balfour Beatty LLC.

“With our 4 million capacity TEUs Container Terminal 3 fully operational this year, Jebel Ali will have the capability to accommodate ten mega container ships simultaneously and the new Terminal 4 will increase that handling capability,” Bin Sulayem, added.