Jordan’s National Electric Power Company (Nepco) has extended the deadline for responses to its request for qualification (RFQ) to build the country’s third independent power project (IPP).

Nepco has moved the original 30 September deadline to 17 October. The selected developer will build the plant on a build-own-operate (BOO) basis at a site in Amman East (MEED 6:9:10).

The project was unveiled at the end of 2009, at which point Nepco said it intended to issue an RFQ to developers by June 2010. The issue date was subsequently pushed back as Nepco and its adviser, US firm K&M Engineering & Consulting, finalised the specifications of the project (MEED 26:8:10).

Once qualified, the bidders will be requested to propose a base bid and an option capable of dealing with peak demand. For the base bid, the project will consist of a power generating facility with capacity of 300-350MW with an expected annual capacity factor of approximately 60 per cent.

For the peaking option, the project will consist of a power generating facility with a capacity of 200-250MW using either diesel engine technology or combustion turbines operating in simple cycle with an expected annual capacity factor of 40 per cent.

Nepco will award to the sponsor either the base bid or the base bid with an alternative bid. The desired commercial operation date for the base bid and alternative bid is 2013-14.

For both options the project will use heavy fuel oil (HFO) as main fuel, natural gas as secondary and light distillate as tertiary.

The bidders will be responsible for selecting HFO of the quality suitable for the equipment proposed. Responsibility for liquid fuel procurement (HFO or distillate) will be determined at a later stage of the tender process. Nepco will supply natural gas when available.

Nepco, which operates most of Jordan’s power network, will also buy the output of the plant for a period of 25 years.

The project is Jordan’s third IPP. The previous two private power schemes were implemented under the Energy & Mineral Resources Ministry.

The Almanakher IPP, which began operating in August 2009, was developed by a team of Dubai-based AES Oasis and Japan’s Mitsui & Company.

The ministry awarded the second IPP, at Al-Qatrana, to a team of Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco) and Saudi Arabia’s Xenel Industries in mid-2008.