Four companies submitted a valid bid bond following the preliminary request for proposals (RFP) for the new local power generation plant for the Delimara Power Station.

The following companies, Ido Hutney Projekt A S, Socoin Ingineria, Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractors (Bwsc) and Man Ferrostal Power Industry Gmbh, submitted a valid bid bond of Lm200,000 for the RFP.

A fifth company, Isolux/Efacec, was disqualified because it did not submit an original bid bond with its RFP.

Another company, Metka, which submitted its Request for Information document on 20 February and attended the clarification meeting on 4 September at Delimara Power Station, was not present with its Preliminary Request for Proposals on 2 October.

There were 11 interested companies who attended the clarification meeting and site visit at Delimara Power Station on 15 December 2006 – but only four submitted a valid bid bond.

However, the packages containing the RFPs were opened at 11am instead of 10am – the usually established time – due to a mistake in the Enemalta tender document. On page one of the document the deadline was 10am but on the cover the deadline was 11am.

The project, which will cost between Lm30 and Lm40 million, will be adjudicated under the negotiated procedure with two bidders from the list of four.

The RFP called on the companies to include the design, supply, erection, testing and commissioning of Combined Cycle Powers Plants and/or Diesel Engines Plants in the range of 100 MWe as asked for in the Enemalta tender specifications.

The tender should be awarded by July 2008 and the project, which is government funded, completed within two years.

The government is also planning to invest around Lm55 million in the Malta/Sicily 200MW submarine electrical connection.