Morocco’s state utility Office National de l’Electricite (ONE) has opened bids to build its planned Safi independent power project (IPP).

France’s EDF (Electricite de France) and the UK’s International Power with Nareva, a subsidiary of the local ONA Group, submitted bids for the project in March. They were asked to submit revised prices to build the project in June after receiving additional information about the site on 23 June (MEED 24:6:10).

A preferred bidder is to be named by 15 November. The developer will build…on a build-own-operate (BOO) basis

The revised prices were disclosed on 29 October. The bid offered by International Power and Nareva was approximately 5 per cent lower than EDF’s bid with a total levelised tariff of MD1,053 per MWh ($130 per MWh).

A preferred bidder is to be named by 15 November. The developer will build the 1,320MW coal-fired project on a build-own-operate (BOO) basis under a 30-year contract.

ONA originally planned to take responsibility for the supply of coal feedstock and the construction of coal-handling facilities at Safi port as part of the project. In March 2009, ONA shifted this responsibility onto the developer.

The UK’s HSBC is financial adviser on the project, while US firm Chadbourne & Parke is legal adviser. The US’ Sargent & Lundy is technical adviser for the scheme.