Seven companies expressed interest to participate in the bidding for the operation and maintenance service contract of the 165-megawatt Casecnan hydroelectric power plant in Nueva Ecija province, state-run Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. said Monday.
PSALM conducted on Sept. 24 the pre-bid conference for the procurement of the OMSC for the Casecnan hydro power plant in which seven prospective bidders attended.
These are KEPCO KPS Carabao Corp., Soosan ENS Co. Ltd., China Energy Engineering Group Heilongjiang Energy Engineering Co. Ltd., Marine-Power Industry Asia Pacific Corp., Atdinum Energy Inc., SN Aboitiz Power-Magat Inc. and First Gen Hydro Power Corp.
“The procurement of an O&M operator will ensure the continuous generation of energy as well as the uninterrupted irrigation service of the Casecnan project upon Casecnan’s turnover from the CEWEC to the government on Dec. 11, 2021,” PSALM president and chief executive Irene Besido-Garcia said.
The OMSC will start on Nov. 26 to give the operator sufficient lead time to familiarize itself with the operations of the Casecnan hydro plant.
It will also allow the operator to mobilize its personnel in preparation for the actual operation and maintenance beginning Dec. 12. The OMSC will be effective for one year while PSALM is working on the privatization process for the Casecnan hydro plant.
The terms and conditions of the procurement were discussed at the pre-bid conference.
“The conference also provided the interested bidders an opportunity to ask questions and request for clarification on concerns relative to the requirements mentioned in the bidding documents,” PSALM said.
The agency set the bid opening on Oct. 12 at 10:15 a.m. which will be done through a hybrid arrangement where people can participate at the PSALM office or opt to join the videoconferencing. After the bid opening, the evaluation of bids will follow. Late bids will be rejected outright.
The OMSC has an approved budget of P462 million which will be sourced through PSALM’s 2021 and 2022 corporate operating budgets.
The Casecnan hydro project is a combined irrigation and power generation project at Sitio Pauan, Barangay Villarica, Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija.
The two run-off weirs and intake structures of Casecnan hydroplant, constructed along the Casecnan and Taan Rivers, are located in Peleway, Alfonso Castañeda, Nueva Vizcaya.