News
HKA provides expert support in US$300 million LCIA award
- HKA provided construction quantum expert services to Turkish contractor Yapı Merkezi, alongside Akinci Law Office, in a major LCIA arbitration against Ethiopian Railway Corporation.
- The dispute concerned the US$1.7 billion Awash-Woldia/Hara Gebeya railway project in Ethiopia, where construction was halted in 2021 following the outbreak of civil war in Tigray.
- The tribunal ordered Ethiopian Railway Corporation to pay Yapı Merkezi more than US$300 million in damages plus interest and largely dismissed its US$1.3 billion counterclaim.
- HKA Partners Paul Cacchioli and Ekrem Kaya provided expert support on the quantum issues arising from the project; the final award was issued on 2 October 2026.
HKA provided construction quantum expert services to Turkish contractor Yapı Merkezi alongside Akinci Law Office in a major LCIA arbitration against Ethiopian Railway Corporation concerning the Awash-Woldia/Hara Gebeya railway project in Ethiopia.
The US$1.7 billion engineering, procurement and construction project involved the construction of a 392-kilometre railway linking central and northern Ethiopia. Construction began in 2015 but was halted in 2021 following the outbreak of civil war in the northern state of Tigray.
Global Arbitration Review reports that the tribunal ordered Ethiopian Railway Corporation to pay Yapı Merkezi more than US$300 million in damages plus interest. The tribunal also dismissed the state entity’s US$1.3 billion counterclaim, save for amounts relating to the recovery of advance payments that Yapı Merkezi did not dispute. The final award was issued on 2 October 2026, following an earlier partial award on jurisdiction and liability in April 2025.
HKA Partners Paul Cacchioli and Ekrem Kaya provided expert support on the quantum issues arising from the project. Paul is a construction quantum expert with extensive experience in complex construction and infrastructure disputes, while Ekrem acts as an expert witness in construction delay and quantum matters.
The award represents a significant outcome in a major international construction and infrastructure dispute and follows proceedings concerning the cost and delay impacts of the project’s disruption.
About our Construction Quantum Practice
HKA is the trusted global leader in quantum expertise – delivering robust, evidence-based insights that stand up to scrutiny. With a proven track record on major projects worldwide, our specialists provide the clarity, credibility, and confidence clients need to resolve disputes and protect project outcomes. The firm’s construction quantum experts are trusted worldwide – from Asia and Africa to the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania.
