A New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) delegation has visited the Gabal El-Zeit wind power station in the Red Sea, on Tuesday, with representatives from Orascom, Vestas, and Voltalia.
The visit took place to inspect the operation and maintenance work scheduled for the 220 MW station.
Informed sources say that local and international companies have bought the bid requirements booklet put forward by the authority to carry out the operation and maintenance work on the wind power plant for a period of five years. These include Vestas, Siemens Gamesa, Voltalia, Free Energy, China Energy, and Orascom.
The NREA announced that the session to open the technical envelopes will be held on 11 October.
Many companies that have purchased the tender conditions brochure are hoping to gain an extension of two weeks to one month on this date. Sources add, however, that this matter has not yet been resolved.
The NREA owns three wind stations in Egypt, the first of which is the 550 MW capacity station located in Zaafarana, which includes about 700 turbines of different capacities. The authority also owns a second at Gabal El-Zeit 1 with a capacity of 240 MW and 120 turbines, and the third at Gabal El-Zeit 2 with a capacity of 220 MW and 110 turbines.
The authority had announced its intention to establish a subsidiary company to maintain and operate wind projects. It closed the lid on the idea, due to the high costs and lack of substantial experience with such activities.
The sources explained that the NREA has instead chosen to launch the tender that would take one of two pathways. The first option would be for a company to take on the operation and maintenance of the station for a specific period.
The second pathway would pick an investor who would establish and take on full ownership of the company that would undertake the maintenance of the authority’s stations. This would take place through a contract between the two parties for a period of five to 10 years, provided that the investor receives a value for operating and maintaining the projects.
