B -- PANAMA CANAL AUTHORITY HYDROELECTRIC ENERGY PROJECTS

Notice Date

November 28, 2000

Contracting Office

USTDA, 1621 N. Kent Street, Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22209-2131

ZIP Code

22209-2131

Response Due

February 15, 2000

Point of Contact

POC -- Evangela Kunene, USTDA, 1621 N. Kent Street, Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22209-2131, Tel: (703) 875-4357, Fax: (703) 875-4009

Description

The Grantee invites submission of qualifications and proposal data (collectively referred to as the "Proposal") from interested U.S. firms which are qualified on the basis of experience and capability to develop a feasibility study for hydroelectric projects being developed by the Panama Canal Authority (PCA) with a total installed capacity of 53MW. With its responsibilities as the sovereign entity responsible for managing a key link in world commerce, and due to the tremendous growth in world trade and the reliance upon the Canal, the PCA has diligently prepared and analyzed expansion and development plans that would guarantee the growth and continued successful operation of the Panama Canal. As part of a multi-year and long-term expansion planning, the Canal has begun to develop a new dam and reservoir based upon future projected needs of water. As a byproduct, the Canal will also be able to address another need and priority for development in Panama, electricity generated by hydroelectric plants to be constructed at the new dam and reservoir. The PCA has identified projects centered on the Canal's ever-growing demand for water and are finalizing dam and reservoir planning and construction and the subsequent hydrologic optimization planning and analysis for the development of three plants with 53 MW installed capacity. The PCA has analyzed the viability of developing the projects with the following components: The Rio Cocle del Norte dam with a hydroelectric plant at the dam (18 MW installed capacity; the Rio Indio dam with a hydroelectric plant at the dam (25 MW installed capacity); an inter-basin transfer tunnel connecting Cocle del Norte Lake with Indio Lake; and an inter-basin transfer tunnel connecting Indio Lake with Gatun Lake (in the Panama Canal system) with a hydroelectric plant at the tunnel outlet (10 MW installed capacity). The PCA has conducted evaluations and pre-feasibility analyses of the proposed hydroelectric projects, but requires further refinement of the details and designs of the proposed projects. The feasibility study will provide them greater detail for development of the projects and specifically the following areas will be covered: Water Availability Verification; Project Optimization Analysis; Geologic, Geotechnical, and Constructability Assessment; Environmental Review; Preliminary Engineering and Design; Detailed Cost Estimate; and a detailed Economic and Financial Analysis that would allow the PCA to successfully implement the project. The U.S. firm selected will be paid in U.S. dollars from a $165,000 grant to the Grantee from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA). A detailed Request for Proposals (RFP), which includes requirements for the Proposal, the Terms of Reference, and a background definitional mission report are available from TDA, at 1621 N. Kent Street, Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22209-2131. Requests for the RFP should be faxed to the IRC, TDA at 703-875-4009. In the fax, please include your firm's name, contact person, address, and telephone number. Some firms have found that RFP materials sent by U.S. mail do not reach them in time for preparation of an adequate response. Firms that want TDA to use an overnight delivery service should include the name of the delivery service and your firm's account number in the request for the RFP. Firms that want to send a courier to TDA to retrieve the RFP should allow one hour after faxing the request to TDA before scheduling a pick-up. Please note that no telephone requests for the RFP will be honored. Please check your internal fax verification receipt. Because of the large number of RFP requests, TDA cannot respond to requests for fax verification. Requests for RFPs received before 4:00 PM will be mailed the same day. Requests received after 4:00 PM will be mailed the following day. Please check with your courier and/or mail room before calling TDA. Only U.S. firms and individuals may bid on this TDA financed activity. Interested firms, their subcontractors and employees of all participants must qualify under TDA's nationality requirements as of the due date for submission of qualifications and proposals and, if selected to carry out the TDA-financed activity, must continue to meet such requirements throughout the duration of the TDA-financed activity. All goods and services to be provided by the selected firm shall have their nationality, source and origin in the U.S. or host country. The U.S. firm may use subcontractors from the host country for up to 20 percent of the TDA grant amount. Details of TDA's nationality requirements and mandatory contract clauses are also included in the RFP. Interested U.S. firms should submit their Proposal in English directly to the Grantee by 3 p.m., February 15, 2000 at the above address. Evaluation criteria for the Proposal are included in the RFP. Price will not be a factor in contractor selection, and therefore, cost proposals should NOT be submitted. The Grantee reserves the right to reject any and/or all Proposals. The Grantee also reserves the right to contract with the selected firm for subsequent work related to the project. The Grantee is not bound to pay for any costs associated with the preparation and submission of Proposals.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20001130/BSOL001.HTM (W-333 SN5075G5)