Italy's Impregilo is the low bidder for the civil works contract on the dam component of the Ghazi Barotha 1,450-MW hydroelectric power project (MEED 2:9:94; 12:8:94). Bids for civils on the power complex will be invited in July or August.

Impregilo and its partners France's Campenon Bernard, Ed Zueblin of Germany, and Saadullah Khan & Brothers and Nazir & Company, both local, submitted a bid of

Rs 6,040 million ($196 million) for contract C1, and Rs 10,433 million ($338.5 million) for contract C2.

Contract C1 is for construction of a barrage seven kilometres downstream of the Tarbela dam. Under Contract C2, water will be diverted at Ghazi to a 52-kilometre power channel. The contracts will be financed by loans from the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. An award is expected by September.

The other bidders for C1 are:

Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company of South Korea - Rs 6,600 million ($214 million)

Turkey's Dogus - Rs 7,143 million ($232 million)

Spain's Dragados & Construcciones - Rs 7,556 million ($245 million)

China's Dongfang Electric Corporation - Rs 8,131 million ($263 million). Dongfang also offered a 12.8 per cent discount on some items

South Korea's Dong Ah Construction Industrial Company - Rs 9,493 million ($308 million).

The other bids for C2 are:

Dogus - Rs 11,427 million ($371 million)

Dong Ah - Rs 12,148 million ($394 million)

Hyundai - Rs 12,737.6 million ($413 million)

South Korea's Daewoo Corporation and the UK's Wimpey Engineering - Rs 13,669 million ($443 million)

South Korea's Samsung Engineering & Construction Company - Rs 14,311 million ($464 million). Samsung also offered a 3.8 per cent discounted bid of Rs 13,767 million ($446 million).

The power complex civil works will involve building a 1,450-MW power house with five units and associated infrastructure facilities, including 500-kV circuits. Impregilo is also understood to be amongst the companies bidding for C3, as are Dogus and Dongfang.

All three contracts were originally due to be tendered at the same time. However, some form of private financing could be introduced for the third phase of the project, the power complex, and this is still under evaluation. The whole scheme is due for completion by 2000.

The consultants are the local Pakistan Hydro Consultants, a joint venture comprising Harza Engineering Company International of the US, Ewbank Preece and Binnie & Partners, both of the UK, and two local firms, National Engineering Services Pakistan (Nespak) and Associated Consulting Engineers. The client is the Water & Power Development Authority (WAPDA).