SCASPA Chairman, Mr. Linkon Maynard

Chairman of the St Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority (SCASPA), Mr.

Linkon Maynard, said Wednesday that the Board has approved the selection of Shell Aviation as the international energy supply company which will be awarded a long term concession for the funding, construction and operation of the new fuel farm facility at the Federation's main gateway.

"The selection of Shell Aviation was as a result of a competitive bidding process which commenced in October of last year and yielded two competing offers; one from Shell Aviation and the other from ChevronTexaco," said Mr.

Maynard, who disclosed "both bids were responsive to SCASPA's requirements but in the end, the Board had to make a choice and decided that the offer from Shell Aviation better suited SCASPA's needs and requirements."

Acting Chairman of SCASPA's Airport Project Management Committee, Mr. Samer N. Jumean of PricewaterhouseCoopers, said  "both bidders were required to fund the design and construction of the new facility, cover the costs associated with the preparation of the new site on which the new facility will be housed and operate the newly developed facility based on world class technical, safety and environmental standards."

In addition to funding, constructing and operating the new facility, Mr.

Jumean stressed the fact that bidders were also required to commit to supplying fuel from the new facility at competitive rates taking into account SCASPA's need for the introduction of a new per gallon throughput fee.

Jumean added that the bidders were also required to commit to paying SCAPSA a land rental fee based on ongoing market rates.

Shell Aviation is expected to commence construction of the new facility by March 1, 2006 and have the first phase of the new facility become operational by June 1, 2006. That date will also mark the day on which the decommissioning of the existing old facility will commence. Shell Aviation has committed to the complete decommissioning of the old facility by July 15, 2006. Mr. Maynard said that the Board is quite satisfied with the outcome of the process.

"This agreement with Shell Aviation is the first of several agreements that SCASPA hopes to structure and execute with the private sector for the development, funding and operation of important infrastructure as we continue to provide modern facilities to meet international standards and remain competitive," said the SCASPA Chairman.

A second cruise pier at Port Zante, along with a new Fixed Based Operation (new terminal building at the airport) are among such projects which are expected to be finalised within the next six to twelve months.

SCASPA is presently undertaking a multi million dollar airport expansion that will see the construction of extended aircraft parking apron to accommodate six wide-bodies jets at the same time, a parallel taxiway and the new fuel farm.