Tender for electricity facility further delayed

ANKARA - Reuters

The Privatization Administration (ÖİB) postponed the deadline of the Hamitabat natural gas combined cycle plant tender’s preliminary offer again to Jan. 28, while the final offers are to be obtained by Feb. 28.
The postponement is intended to provide sufficient participation for the finalization of the tender, according to sources.

Four companies have preliminary approval for the tender, which was originally due to end Sept. 19, 2012. Among these companies, Limak was the only one that presented an offer after the preliminary process, which caused the tender to be delayed due to insufficient competitiveness. This is the third postponement of the tender deadline.

The low efficiency average – around 45 percent – discourages potential buyers, but the sale of assets like a power plant facility or land may attract investors, according to sector officials. “Hamitabat has value even as it is now; it would be more valuable if the existing facility is replaced with a new one,” said an official in August.