The consortium led by Hutchison International Port Holdings (HIP) tendering for the Tuen Mun river terminal project has criticised its rival bidder, a New World Infrastructure-led grouping, accusing it of treating the project as a property investment and lacking industry expertise.
The comments came a day after New World revealed that Odelon, its five-member consortium, bid $2.38 billion for the land premium and would make a total investment of $6.5 billion.
The contract for the terminal, the first of its kind in the territory, is expected to be awarded by the Lands Department at the end of this month.
John Meredith, the managing director of HIP, which is controlled by Li Ka-shing's Hutchison Whampoa, said: 'The whole idea of the (Tuen Mun) project is to facilitate river trade we are already involved in.' He said the HIP-led consortium, known as the River Trade Terminal Co (RTTC), had submitted a lower bid than its rival but refused to reveal the amount.
HIP and Sun Hung Kai Properties own 37 per cent each of RTTC while Jardine Matheson holds 15 per cent and mainland-controlled shipping group Cosco Pacific, 11 per cent. Mr Meredith said all parties in RTTC had interests in river trade.
Sun Hung Kai Properties executive director Michael Wong said the Government had made it clear that price was only one of the criteria.