Delivering the Cheung Chau submarine pipeline in Hong Kong using NEC3

The Cheung Chau submarine pipeline between Hong Kong’s Lantau and Cheung Chau islands is a 1·4 km long, 500 mm diameter water main installed by horizontal directional drilling. It is one of the largest trenchless pipeline projects undertaken in Hong Kong. Drilling through a variety of rock strata up to 100 m below sea level was inherently risky, so use of an appropriate procurement strategy was pivotal to controlling costs and ensuring successful delivery. The government’s Water Supplies Department opted to adopt the Institution of Civil Engineers’ NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract for the project. This paper describes the scope of the work, how an appropriate contract strategy was chosen and how NEC3 facilitated effective risk management during construction. It concludes with a recommendation that NEC3 brings valuable benefits and is suitable for use in future similar projects.