The AES/Mitsui team offered a levelised price a kilowatt hour in the range of 6-7 per cent below the offer from a team of Saudi Arabia's Xenel Industries and Turkey's Gama, and about 10 per cent below the price of the third bidding group, made up of Belgium's Unit International and Athens-based Consolidated Contractors International Company (CCC).

Bidders were asked to submit an offer for a 280-400-MW combined cycle scheme, to be implemented on a build-own-operate (BOO) basis. It is understood that the lowest bidder, which has Mitsui as its nominated engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor, proposed a power plant with capacity of about 400 MW.

The successful bidder will sign a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) by mid-2006. The US' K&M Engineering & Consultancy Corporation is advising the Energy & Mineral Resources Ministry on the IPP, for which the World Bank will provide guarantees (MEED 6:1:06).

www.meed.com/powerwater