Chinese company back in power line bid

The China Electric Power company which had been disqualified from participating in the tender for the construction, financing, and operation of Panama’s fourth electric transmission line is back in the running.

The company had been disqualified by the Electric Transmission Company, S.A. (Etesa) evaluation committee that analyzed six proposals it received in the prequalification process. In a report dated August 9, six days after receiving the proposals, the committee determined that the Chinese group did not meet the requirements in points 9, 10 and 12, related to the number of kilometers of transmission line built or operated.

After the report was released on August 14, the Chinese company sent a letter to Etesa asking for a new revision of its proposal, since in its opinion it did comply with the points indicated by the commission. In response, on August 20, Gilberto Ferrari, general manager of Etesa, ordered a new analysis and four days later the committee announced that China Electric Power did meet all the requirements.

In its observations, the company indicated that it did show that it had built the number of kilometers required in the specifications. The projects included in its proposal were built by companies that belong to the same business conglomerate.

China Electric Power said that the statement did not require companies to detail the relationship they had with their subsidiaries.

Item  9 required bidders to have developed 3,000 kilometers or more of line 380 kV in single circuit or double circuit in the last 20 years

Item 10 asked to have 3,000 or more  kilometers of line  in operation; and   12, have in

have developed in the last 20 years 380 kv projects with a length of 200 kilometers in three countries, of which one should be in America.

With the approval of China Electric Power, there are  now five groups that passed the

prequalification phase to participate in the tender for the construction of the 317 km project that starts in Chiriquí Grande, in  Bocas del Toro, to  Panama province.

In the first review, the companies that passed the filter were the Colombian Interconnection Eléctrica, S.A .; the Chiriquí Transmisora de Energía consortium, (Spain); the Four Seasons group (India, France, Brazil); and Vasco Núñez de Balboa (Canada).