SHH, the design and construction company in charge of providing consultancy services for the upgrade of Kuwait Oil Company’s marine facilities, has called the project “challenging”.
George Abi-Hanna, resident director at SSH Kuwait, said in an interview for Construction Week Online: “[It is] a challenging logistical marine-based project, which includes the construction of a breakwater and harbour, demolition works, additional buildings for stores, workshops and worker amenity buildings, and a dry dock, including carnage points and oil separators.”
The complexity of the work involved means that operators must have specific skill-sets to apply and manage different types of material and equipment while on-site, Abi-Hanna added.
However, the skills shortage in the marine engineering field, changing sea conditions and controlled working hours represent common hurdles to overcome when working on marine projects.
“It is challenging to find the right consultant who is locally experienced in this field. As a result, our marine engineering consultants are sourced from abroad, where we benefit from their international standards and expertise.”
“Due to its nature, marine projects’ administration, control, and supporting services buildings, such as the firefighting and water treatment network; stores; and workshops have different design requirements because of the operation and maintenance needs of each,” Abi-Hanna adds.
