Morocco receives two bids for Safi independent power project

17 March 2010

Électricité de France and International Power are the bidders for the 1,320MW coal-fired plant

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

Bids were submitted by France’s EDF (Électricité de France) and the UK’s International Power with the local Nareva, a subsidiary of the ONA Group.

Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power was also expected to participate in the tender with South Korea’s Kepco but decided not to submit a bid.

Bidders had until 12 March to submit offers for the 1,320MW coal-fired project following an extension of the deadline from the original 31 October cut-off date (MEED 25:1:10).

The IPP is to be built on a build-own-operate (BOT) basis and the contract is to run for 30 years.

ONE prequalified 17 groups to compete in the tender in March last year. Then in mid-May, the client decided to move the proposed plant to a location 7km away from the original site, following significant changes to the scope of the project.

Under its initial plan, the utility firm had assumed responsibility for the supply of coal feedstock and the construction of coal-handling facilities at Safi port. In March 2009, the firm shifted this responsibility onto the developer.

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

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