Syria prequalifies firms for independent power project

12 October 2010

Second round prequalification gets strong response

Syria’s Electricity Ministry has prequalified 14 companies to build an independent power project (IPP) at Al-Nasserieh.

A total of 17 companies responded to the request for proposals (RFQ), illustrating a significant increase in interest in the project since 2009. Only five companies responded to the RFQ when it was first launched in May 2009.

The companies prequalified in the latest RFQ are:

  • Evonik Steag (Germany)
  • Mapna (Iran)
  • Powertek Berhad (Malaysia)
  • Mitsui & Company (Japan)
  • Acwa Power (Saudi Arabia)
  • Malakoff International (Malaysia), Limak (Turkey) and JDC (Jordan)
  • Tenaga Nasional Berhad (Malaysia)
  • International Power (UK) and Orascom Construction Industries (Egypt)
  • Karadeniz Holding (Turkey)
  • Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (Switzerland)
  • Mytilineos Holdings (Greece) and Metka (Greece)
  • Aksa Enerji (Turkey)
  • El-Sewedy Power (Egypt) and GMR (India)
  • Qatar Electricity & Water Company (Qatar)

Two companies prequalified from the initial RFQ in November 2009 will also be added to that list. Greece’s Terna was successful in the first round, as was Marafeq, a joint venture of Syria’s Cham Holding and the Kuwaiti conglomerate Al-Kharafi.

The Electricity Ministry has left out three companies that responded to the RFQ, but were not prequalified (MEED 29:9:10). They are:

  • Al-Ghanim International Trading & Contracting Company (Kuwait)
  • Arian Mah-Taab (Iran)
  • Doosan (South Korea)

Three companies also failed to be prequalified in the 2009 RFQ, the UAE’s Creative Energy Resources, Russia’s Escous Energy and Syria’s Kanan Trading. Although all three were allowed to resubmit their qualifications in the latest RFQ, they all decided to stay out of the process.

The ministry aims to diversify its sources of power generation in the country and meet growing electricity demand. The Al-Nasserieh project is intended to assist in both of these objectives. The IPP is to have a capacity of 180-250MW and will run on heavy fuel oil, natural gas or a mixture of both (MEED 5:8:10).

The project is promoted by Public Establishment of Electricity for Generation & Transmission (PEEGT). The PEEGT is under the control of the Electricity Ministry and is solely responsible for planning, development, operation and maintenance of Syria’s generating plants and transmission networks.

PEEGT appointed the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the Washington-headquartered World Bank Group, as lead adviser to assist in the structuring and implementation of the country’s first IPP.

The UK’s Allen & Overy and local law firm Sarkis Attorneys at Law were selected as legal advisers for the project in July (MEED 19:7:10). UK-based consultant Mott MacDonald is technical adviser.

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