Nine consortiums, companies enter second phase in Čebren hydropower plant tender

The Government of North Macedonia has selected nine companies and groups for the second phase of the tender for granting a water concession for the construction of Čebren hydropower plant on the river Crna and the operation of existing HPP Tikveš.

The planned capacity of HPP Čebren is 333 MW while the investment is estimated at EUR 570 million. The success of the prequalification phase could be considered as good news having in mind that in the past 15 years, all 13 tendering procedures have been unsuccessful.

The Eiffage – Waterlu-Andritz-Norconsult consortium didn’t meet prequalification requirements

Ten foreign companies and consortiums submitted prequalification offers and only one was disqualified, the Government of North Macedonia said.

The Eiffage – Waterlu-Andritz-Norconsult consortium with companies from France and Austria didn’t meet prequalification requirements.

The list now consists of Turkish consortiums ENKA-Kolin and Özaltın – Yapı Merkezi, Chinese Gezhouba and Power Construction Corp. of China (PowerChina), French EDF, the Austrian consortium of EVN and Verbund, Webuild (formerly called Salini Impregilo) from Italy and the consortiums of Cobra and Cobra Hidraulika from Spain and Public Power Corp. (PPC or DEI) and Archirodon from Greece.

The construction of HPP Čebren will be structured as a PPP

The government instructed the evaluation commission to inform companies and consortiums that they have passed the prequalification phase and qualified for the second phase.

The construction of the Čebren hydropower plant and the operation of existing HPP Tikveš will be structured as a public–private partnership (PPP) with the winning bidder. The idea is to establish a venture with power utility Elektrani na Severna Makedonija (ESM).

The initial deadline for the prequalification phase was April 3. It was extended by the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning until June 5, and afterwards to December 18.