Algeria’s Societe Algerienne de Production de l’Electricite (SPE) has extended the deadline for bids to build two 500-600MW power plants.

Prospective bidders now have until 20 September to respond. The previous deadline was 1 September.

One facility is to be built at Ain Djasser Wilaya in Batna and the other is to be built at F’kirina Wilaya in Oum el-Bouaghi.

This is SPE’s second attempt to tender contracts for the two projects. SPE has previously issued an invitation to bid in August 2009. Those companies that responded to the tender have been asked to resubmit offers for the projects.

The tender is managed on behalf of SPE by Compagnie de l’Engineering de l’Electricite du Gaz (Ceeg), a subsidiary of local energy company Sonelgaz.

The winning bidder will design, engineer, acquire equipment for, install and operate the plants. The tender will be undertaken in two phases – a technical one followed by commercial phase.

SPE has also recently issued a tender for another power plant at Messerghine with a capacity of 400MW. Bids for this project were due by 16 August, but the tender has subsequently been cancelled.

The contract included the design, engineering, equipment acquisition, installation, start up and operation of the plant, which was to comprise two 200MW generation units.