The Vreed-en-Hoop Shorebase Inc. (VEHSI) recently announced its pursuit of additional local service providers as it progresses toward its highly anticipated December completion date.
VEHSI, a collaboration between NRG Holdings Inc. and the Jan De Nul Group, envisions establishing the Vreed-en-Hoop Shore Base as Guyana’s premier modern, deep-water, multi-purpose port. NRG Holdings Inc, a consortium of Guyanese businesses including Hadi’s World Incorporated, National Hardware Guyana Limited, and ZRN Investments Incorporated, partnered with the Jan De Nul Group, an international maritime infrastructure company headquartered in Luxembourg, to develop an advanced shore base facility in the Foreshore Plantation, West Bank Demerara.
It has been noted that the construction of Port Vreed-en-Hoop holds significant economic potential for both the local community and the nation of Guyana as a whole. Ongoing construction activities are currently underway on the man-made island, with the goal of delivering a fully operational shore base to ExxonMobil Guyana, the operator of Guyana’s esteemed Stabroek Block, by December 2023.
A recent statement from VEHSI highlighted that the last pile was driven and the Galileo Galilei, one of the world’s largest hopper dredgers has finished reclamation. In light of this progress, VEHSI has initiated a request for information (RFI) to identify local service providers capable of offering a range of 30-90 services.
Emphasizing their commitment to local content, VEHSI underscored the importance of local service providers in their RFI for Foundational and Facility Management Services in Region 3, as well as additional services in Region 4. The RFI encompasses both technical and commercial services, spanning areas such as maintenance, repair, cleaning, and servicing of various systems including water, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), electrical, gas, and generator systems. General maintenance tasks like gardening and pest control are also part of the scope, with the possibility of additional related services.
Within the RFI, VEHSI also emphasized its dedication to a robust local content strategy, stating, “Local content strategy is a fundamental part of our operations at VEHSI. We are dedicated to strengthening workforce and supplier capacities within our local community. During the bidding process, potential contractors are expected to showcase their understanding of the Local Content Act (2021) and how it applies to their range of work.”
Moreover, its recently published RFI conforms with the 2021 Local Content Act, which outlines 40 sectors and sub-sectors that prioritize the involvement of Guyanese businesses.
