Commercial bids are expected in January for the estimated TD 360 million ($279 million) project to develop a combined-cycle power plant at Ghannouch near Gabes, says a source close to the project (MEED 1:9:06).

Four companies are negotiating for the contract to build and operate the 380-450-MW plant following the submission of technical bids in May. They are: France's Alstom Power; Italy's Ansaldo Energia; a team of Germany's Siemens with Canada's SNC Lavalin; and a consortium of GE Energy of the US with Italy's Techint.

The bidders originally submitted both technical and commercial bids, but price submissions were returned to the companies in favour of pre-

aligning technical offers.

The contract comprises a 26-month engineering, procurement and construction element and a renewable 10-year operation and maintenance phase. The client is state power company Societe Tunisienne de l'Electricite et du Gaz.