By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS Editor in Samarkand, Uzbekistan
The redevelopment of Tonga’s Queen Sālote International Wharf is being highlighted as a major success story of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) merit-based procurement reforms, with the project delivered on time, on budget, and with strong local and climate outcomes.
The USD$70 million project demonstrates how shifting procurement away from a lowest-cost approach towards a merit-point system is improving infrastructure delivery quality across the Pacific, according to ADB’s Director General Pacific Department, Emma Veve.
The upgrade of Tonga’s only international port—handling around 95 percent of the country’s imports and exports—was co-financed by ADB and the Australia Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) and implemented by New Zealand contractor McConnell Dowell, working with the Tonga Ministry of Infrastructure and the Tonga Port Authority.
Veve said the project reflects the importance of value-based procurement in delivering critical infrastructure for small island economies.
“This is a very important lifeline for Tonga, and it shows what can be achieved when quality, capability and development outcomes are built into procurement,” she said.
Construction took place between 2023 and 2025 while the port remained fully operational, requiring the works to be staged to avoid disruption to shipping services.
The first phase (September 2023–July 2024) included construction of a new dolphin between Wharf 1 and 2, two additional dolphins on the eastern side of Wharf 1, and reconstruction of Wharf 1. The second phase (July 2024–October 2025) delivered an extension to Wharf 2 to accommodate larger vessels, a new western dolphin, and installation of upgraded paving, drainage, smart lighting, waste management, and fire-fighting systems.
According to project information from McConnell Dowell, the works were completed on schedule and within budget, with more than one million work hours recorded and no lost-time injuries.
The contractor reported that around 80 percent of the workforce was locally recruited, with women making up about 11 percent of the team across engineering, quality control, and technical roles. More than 3,000 hours of structured training were delivered, alongside mentoring and on-the-job skills development, including for eight local graduates.
ADB said the project also reflects broader procurement reform goals under its merit-point system, which allows weighting for local employment, skills transfer, and use of domestic inputs alongside technical and financial criteria.
McConnell Dowell data shows around 14 percent of contract value was invested back into Tonga, with approximately 20 percent of total project spend supporting local businesses and supply chains.
A key legacy outcome of the project was the establishment of a concrete batching and testing facility in Tonga, reducing reliance on overseas testing and lowering transport-related emissions.
The project also delivered environmental gains, with an estimated 13,395 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions saved and around 85 percent of construction waste diverted from landfill.
Veve said the Queen Sālote Wharf upgrade demonstrates how procurement reform can improve not only cost and delivery performance, but also local participation and climate resilience outcomes in critical infrastructure.
“It shows that when we focus on value and outcomes rather than just lowest price, we get better infrastructure for the Pacific,” she said.
