B -- NORTH AFRICA REGIONAL: INTERCONNECTION REINFORCEMENT FEASIBILITY STUDY

Notice Date

September 19, 2001

Contracting Office

USTDA, 1621 N. Kent Street, Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22209-2131

ZIP Code

22209-2131

Response Due

November 10, 2001

Point of Contact

Evangela Kunene, USTDA, 1621 N. Kent Street, Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22209-2131, Tel: (703) 875-4357, Fax: (703) 875-4009.

Description

The Grantee invites submission of qualifications and proposal data (collectively referred to as the "Proposal") from interested U.S. firms which are qualified on the basis of experience and capability to develop a feasibility study for interconnection reinforcement in Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. Electricity production growth in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia has averaged over 7.5 percent during the 1990's to meet increasing domestic demands, and a continued high growth rate is foreseen for the next 10-15 years. Much of the growth in power production is based on Algerian natural gas, which is transported via pipeline through Tunisia and then undersea to Italy, and through Morocco then undersea to Spain. The Gibraltar pipeline also has a parallel power transmission interconnection linking Morocco to the Spanish grid. As power demands grow in the three Maghreb countries, the transmission grids of their utilities must expand and add capacity to meet these requirements, in terms of higher voltage capacity, transmission lines, substations, control systems and other facilities. This need for expansion includes the need for stronger Algeria-Morocco and Algeria-Tunisia interconnections to facilitate increased power exchanges among the three utilities. At the same time, Algeria has targeted export of electric power to Europe based on low-cost natural gas, and launched an international tender for 1,200 megawatts (MW) of combined cycle power capacity. Some 800 MW of this capacity is targeted for export, and additional tenders for another 2000 MW are anticipated in the next several years. This power export, and future power development for export, will also require growth of the interconnected grid in the three countries and potentially new interconnections across the Mediterranean. The electric power and natural gas projects planned in the three countries, for both domestic consumption and export, make it imperative that they upgrade and expand their internal transmission systems and the interconnections. Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia cannot expand their industrialization efforts without it, nor improve the quality of life of the citizens of these countries, particularly in the southern regions. The feasibility study is only the first step in the process. It must be followed by engineering, procurement and construction of an upgraded transmission and interconnection infrastructure in order to complete the planned power projects. The objective of this Feasibility Study is to assist Comite Maghrebin de l'Electricite (COMELEC) with the development of a management and investment plan for the expansion of the interconnected power transmission networks in order to ensure power exchange among these networks. The primary tasks of the Feasibility Study include the following: 1) Static Studies; 2) Dynamic Studies; 3) Technical/Economic Studies; 4) Review of Regulatory, Legal, and Environmental Aspects; 5) Implementation Plan; 6) Final Report to COMELEC and TDA. The U.S. firm selected will be paid in U.S. dollars from a $397,896 grant to the Grantee from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA). A detailed Request for Proposals (RFP), which includes requirements for the Proposal, the Terms of Reference, and a background definitional mission report are available from TDA, at 1621 N. Kent Street, Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22209-2131. Requests for the RFP should be faxed to the IRC, TDA at 703-875-4009. In the fax, please include your firm's name, contact person, address, and telephone number. Some firms have found that RFP materials sent by U.S. mail do not reach them in time for preparation of an adequate response. Firms that want TDA to use an overnight delivery service should include the name of the delivery service and your firm's account number in the request for the RFP. Firms that want to send a courier to TDA to retrieve the RFP should allow one hour after faxing the request to TDA before scheduling a pick-up. Please note that no telephone requests for the RFP will be honored. Please check your internal fax verification receipt. Because of the large number of RFP requests, TDA cannot respond to requests for fax verification. Requests for RFPs received before 4:00 PM will be mailed the same day. Requests received after 4:00 PM will be mailed the following day. Please check with your courier and/or mailroom before calling TDA. Only U.S. firms and individuals may bid on this TDA financed activity. Interested firms, their subcontractors and employees of all participants must qualify under TDA's nationality requirements as of the due date for submission of qualifications and proposals and, if selected to carry out the TDA-financed activity, must continue to meet such requirements throughout the duration of the TDA-financed activity. All goods and services to be provided by the selected firm shall have their nationality, source and origin in the U.S. or host country. The U.S. firm may use subcontractors from the host country for up to 20 percent of the TDA grant amount. Details of TDA's nationality requirements and mandatory contract clauses are also included in the RFP. Interested U.S. firms should submit their Proposal in English and French directly to the Grantee by 1:00 P.M., Monday, November 5, 2001 at the above address. Evaluation criteria for the Proposal are included in the RFP. Price will not be a factor in contractor selection, and therefore, cost proposals should NOT be submitted. The Grantee reserves the right to reject any and/or all Proposals. The Grantee also reserves the right to contract with the selected firm for subsequent work related to the project. The Grantee is not bound to pay for any costs associated with the preparation and submission of Proposals.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010921/BSOL001.HTM (W-262 SN50Y0J5)