The tender for reclamation and apron works is in progress, with active preparations for pre-construction activities underway, to tie in with the commencement of the reclamation project scheduled for the second half of 2024.

• In 2024
• In 2023
• In 2022

Second quarter of 2024

• The tender for “MIA Expansion Project – Construction Works for Reclamation and Apron” has been published.
• In accordance with the Government’s new regulatory requirements, the plans for the reclamation and apron works have been submitted to the Land and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU) and are currently awaiting approval.
• The hydrologic monitoring and environmental monitoring work prior to the construction phase has been completed.
• The Urban Conditions Plan (PCU) and cadastral plan have been developed and the drafting of land concession contracts is in progress.

Hydrologic Monitoring

Noise Monitoring

First quarter of 2024

• The tender process for the project “Macau International Airport Expansion and Reclamation Project – Project Management and Technical Support Service” has been completed.
• In response to the Government’s new regulatory requirements, the draft plans for the reclamation and apron have been submitted to the Land and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU) for approval and are awaiting review.
• The winter flood monitoring work has been completed and preliminary monitoring for spring is about to begin.
• Work is currently underway with the respective project units to plan the preparation of the tender documents for the reclamation construction.
• Land concession matters are currently being coordinated with the respective Government departments, and cooperation is underway to prepare the Planning Conditions Map (PCU).

4^th quarter 2023

• The design of reclamation is being refined in accordance with the advice of the Civil Aviation Authority (AACM) and the departments responsible for vetting and approval.
• •The preliminary study plan for the design of the apron and related facilities has been finalised, and the detailed construction drawings will be elaborated.
• The autumn hydrologic monitoring and baseline monitoring work has been completed, and the pre-construction monitoring works will continue.
• The public tender for project management and technical support was carried out.
• Continuous coordination with government departments on the concessions of land and compilation of cadastral maps.

3^rd quarter 2023

• AACM’s response and comments on the revised version of the “Second and Third Phases” of the Basic Plan of the Reclamation Project have been received in August.
• AACM’s response and comments on the “First, Second and Third Phases” of the Construction Drawing Plan for the Reclamation Project have been received in August, which have been considered for the amendments on the design of the Construction Drawing Plan.
• The environmental monitoring work was launched. According to the CCCC Third Harbour Consultants Macau Company Limited, the land-based preparatory activities (personnel, equipment and vessels) will be completed and its hydrologic monitoring will be formally commenced, as planned. The summer monitoring work will be completed. It is planned that the Autumn Hydrologic Monitoring will commence.
• The study for the sub-phase of the Expansion Project commenced, with the layout of the floor plan for the basic stage of the capacity of 13 million pax being finalised and the commercial plan commencing immediately thereafter.
• Completed the tendering process for MIA Expansion Project – Quantity Surveying Service and MIA Expansion Project – Hydrologic Monitoring, Environmental Monitoring and Ecological Restoration.

2^nd quarter of 2023

• Started tendering for quantity surveying service
• Submitted to the AACM and relevant review bodies a basic plan of the reclamation project.
• Collect and analyse all the data from the first phase of the reclamation project.

1^st quarter 2023

• Started tendering for environmental monitoring
• Held meetings with AACM and the Land and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU) on the concession of land use, and subsequently submitted the optimisation of coordinates, area amendment and respective minutes to AACM, with a copy to the Cartography and Cadastre Bureau (DSCC). Presently, DSCC’s response and comments are being followed up.
• Held meetings to discuss the supply of inert materials for reclamation with the Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA).
• Held meetings to coordinate environmental monitoring with DSPA, the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) and other relevant departments.
• Held meetings to coordinate the design of reclamation and runway with relevant units.

In 2022

• Established the leading group and working group for expansion and reclamation plan
• Required the engineering company to complete the reclamation proposal within 60 days and negotiated relevant monitoring tasks of the sea area.
• The Infrastructure Development Department and the consulting firm started preparing the schedule for the reclamation works.
• The Finance & Administration Department prepared plans for the realisation and implementation of the respective funds.

Public tender

Direct Consultation

The reclamation works of MIA mainly comprise of the followings:

1. Land reclamation for the sea area between the artificial islands of the runway and the two existing taxiways with the purpose of increasing runway capacity to create additional aircraft stands and to build a runway for rapid take-off;

2. A 95-metre-wide water passage has been reserved between the artificial island and the aircraft apron. The new land and facilities will significantly increase the capacity of the passenger terminal and general aviation facilities, as well as increase the runway capacity.

The reclamation works will be executed in gradual phases, as per traffic demand. Upon conclusion of the final phase of MIA expansion, according to current progress, the entire reclamation project is expected to be completed by 2030.

Reclamation material

In addition to increasing the capacity of the airport, the airport reclamation project also aims to relieve the pressure on Macau’s construction material waste landfill, therefore, it was intended to use the consolidated marine mud as the reclamation material. However, due to the launch of the Project of Dumping and Transport of Marine Mud from Macau Construction Materials Waste Landfill (ARMC) by DSPA in 2019, the problem of construction waste materials has been alleviated. Besides, considering that large-scale reclamation works in other regions have started to use inert materials, which are more stable than consolidated marine mud, the airport now employs inert materials for land reclamation.

The inert materials come from the ARMC, which is one of the abandoned construction materials in the construction works in Macau. The materials are mainly stone, brick, concrete and sand.。

Advantages

Environmental conservation

According to the Administration Directory for Environmental Protection Construction Works Classification in The Mainland of China, the airport reclamation project belongs to the category of Sea Reclamation and Enclosure Project under Ocean Engineering. Therefore, in accordance with the Main Comments provided by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment for the Environmental Assessment of Macau Sea Area, an environmental impact report should be prepared and submitted to Ministry of Ecology and Environment for approval.

Preparation of the environmental assessment report

The environmental assessment is entrusted to SGIDI Engineering Consulting (Group) Co., Ltd, for assistance in its execution. The assessment covers two parts, namely, the sea area within 15 kilometres from the project boundary, as well as the land area within 300 to 500 metres beyond the project boundary and the construction camp and the surrounding area of 300 to 500 metres.

The Environmental Report brings together the following elements: investigation and assessment of the current state of the environment, engineering analysis, environmental impact forecast and assessment, environmental risk assessment, environmental protection measures plan, environmental management and monitoring plan, and results of the public consultation. The environmental measures described in the report cover both the construction and operation phases. The main points are as follows:

Report conclusions

1. The airport expansion project complies with the relevant requirements of the National Marine Functional Zoning and Planning;

2. The impact of the construction works on the surrounding hydrodynamics, dredging environment, seawater quality, marine ecology and fishery resources, as well as acoustic environment, ambient air and aquatic environment of the land area, etc. is acceptable with the application of various environmental protection measures and ecological restoration and compensation measures;

3. Although the project poses environmental risks due to possible oil leakage caused by collisions of vessels in construction, these environmental risks are under control after relevant preventive measures are taken.

The ecological compensation measures adopted in the MIA expansion project based on the ecological development project of vertical water dikes are as follows:

Ecological hexagonal bricks, developed by the Australian Institute of Marine Science and the Reef Design Lab, will be installed to line the walls of the vertical dikes at the water passage between the north and the south, for the purpose of creating microenvironment for marine life and improving quality of seawater.

Given that the small geometric shape of these eco-bricks can provide a space for marine life, one can alter their perfectly flat structure and biologically difficult conditions to survive.

Ecological dikes at the southern end of the track

Given that the dike toes at the southern end of the track is the connection point to the sea-land ecological corridor, small-scale ecological design structures such as artificial reefs and rubbles will be adopted for the upper part of the dike toes, provided that the stability of the dike toes is not damaged.

Such design creates a heterogeneous ecological environment that provides shelters for reproduction, growth, bait and protection against predators, and promotes aggregation and recovery of marine life at dike toes.

Other restoration measures include fish stocking as well as conservation measures for Chinese white dolphin.