Investors in the field of solar energy are preparing for the tender to invite bids for the companies that will continue to provide security, technical, and administrative services for the solar energy projects of Benban area.
The tender is scheduled take place in the next few days.
According to the head of a company operating in solar energy field, the investors agreed that Mohamed El-Sobky, chairman of the New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA), will sign the final agreement with the contracted companies, to guarantee their commitment. The investors will pay in advance to avoid burdening the NREA with any financial commitment.
He said the investors will present the conditions and regulations for the tender to 18 international and local companies. The companies are Hill International, Injaz, El Motaheda, Global Project Services, CH2M, G4S, SGS, Cofely GDF Suez, AKTOR, Bcube, Benchmark, Contrack FM, Misr Contraco, Egypro, Gridtech, Falcon, Morton and Sabbour, and Compass Egypt.
These companies are expected to present their offers by mid-February, in accordance with the regulations of the tender, which include presenting the companies’ previous experience, as well as meeting the requirements determined by the funding institutions.
The seven-member committee representing Benban’s 39 investors will study and examine the technical and financial offers submitted by the companies. Subsequently, a list of appropriate proposals will be sent to the NREA, which will take over the final contractual procedures with these companies.
Investors in Benban require services for the project sites, such as security, labour recruitment, accommodation, meals, sanitation, health, safety, and communications services and water management.
Thirty-nine companies and alliances seek to build solar power plants in the Benban area in Aswan with a capacity of 1,800 MW and investments estimated at $1.8bn. Each project requires 800 workers and engineers, while construction is projected to take about eight months.
The first steps of the project include the arrival of steel units, structures and cables, installation of adapters, electrical work and network connection.
The companies that win the tender will identify the strategic conditions of the project including workers’ accommodation, the proposed work hours, security, road control, emergency plans, containers storage, waste, water, and telecommunications management and transportation.
El-Sobky said the NREA will help investors in all the steps of launching their projects, starting with the construction phase until the linking of the stations to the national electricity grid.
The roads leading to the projects site in Benban will be expanded upon the investors’ request; this will resolve the obstacles faced by lorries loaded with equipment and the stations’ needs during that period.
There is an agreement in place between the NREA and the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources to provide water to solar power projects during the construction period, and the protocol is expected to be signed within days.
