ENVELOPS OF BIDS FOR MARIB 2, 3 EXECUTION PROJECT OPENED

SANA'A, Oct.03 (Saba) – Envelops of financial and technical bids were opened here on Saturday in Minister of Electricity for the two tenders of the 2nd and 3rd phases project of Marib Gas Power Plant separately.

Among nine companies which submitted the financial bids, the competition for implementing the two phases was limited between Russian Techno Prom Company and Indian Bharat Company.

Opening the financial bids for the 2nd phase of Marib plant revealed that the Russian company's bid amounted to about $ 470 million, while the bid of Indian Bharat was $478.380 million.

The estimated cost laid out by Ministry of Electricity for executing the 2nd phase of 400 Mega Watt (MW) amounts to $300 million.

On another hand, the financial bids for the 3rd phase were opened too, wherein Techno Prom's offer amounted to about $316.314 million and Bharat's offer reached $369.790 million, whereas the ministry's likely cost for this phase of 300 MW amounts to about $225 million .

Speaking to Saba, Minister of Electricity Awadh al-Socotri made it clear that the bids would be referred to the project's consulting company for analyzing expected to take two months and then the company would present its recommendations to the ministry which in turn would complete the contracts' measures with the win companies.

Al-Socotri expected signing the execution agreements at the beginning of 2010, indicating the 2nd phase is to be funded by the Yemeni government, Sultanate of Oman and Saudi Fund for Development, while the 3rd phase would be financed totally by the Yemeni government.

It is worthy to mention that Marib Gas Power Plant's productivity with its three phases will reach to nearly 1000 MW.

Power outage is back again plunging most of Yemen's 21 provinces into several-hour darkness a day after a short pause during the Eid vacation, and sparking the fury of the Yemeni people who demand the government to honor its pledges over dealing with power problems.

Despite assurances that the Marib Gas Power Plant would help reduce power cut off when it operates, the power cut off in Yemen really seems too difficult to put an end to.

BA