Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Feb. 26 /. Trend D.Azizov /
State Joint Stock Company "Uzbekenergo" has announced an international tender for consulting services in the framework of the project for expansion of Navoi TPP by construction of the second steam gas plant with capacity of 450 MW, the company said.
As a company representative told Trend, these services include the analysis of the preliminary feasibility study of the project envisaging the construction of 450 MW steam gas plant and gas boosting compressor station, assistance to "Uzbekenergo" in holding international tenders for selection of general contractor of the project, project management at all levels, including periodic review of the budget and management of project's cash flows, as well as testing the equipment, construction supervision and control of the acceptance tests.
Bids are accepted until March 15 inclusive, tender results will be summed up in April.
According to the source, the main tender for selection of general contractor will be announced between late September - early October this year.
As reported earlier, Uzbekistan plans to complete the project for expansion of Navoi TPP capacities with an estimated cost of about $ 496 million until 2016.
It is planned to attract a loan of the Japan International Development Agency (JICA) to the tune of $ 250 million, loans from local banks and equity of "Uzbekenergo" to finance the project.
It is expected that JICA loan can be allocated in March 2013.
As reported previously, in October 2012, construction of steam-gas plant at Navoi thermal power plant with capacity of 478 MW was completed. The project capacity of the plant is 3.4 billion kWh of electricity a year.
The installed capacity of Navoi TPP with the new steam-gas plant amounted to 1.546.000 MW, the annual electricity production is 7.9 billion kWh.
The project cost is $530 million. Funding was provided by a loan from the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan in the amount of $351 million, Uzbekenergo's own funds- $70.2 million and loans from local commercial banks - $46.8 million.
The general contractor is an international consortium of Spanish Initec Energia and Turkish Calik Enerji.
Navoi TPP, one of the largest power plants in Central Asia with an installed capacity of 1,250 MW.
Capacity extension of Navoi TPP is a component of the project on energy provision of Navoi free industrial economic zone.
About 45 power plants with total capacity of about 12,400 MW operate in the Uzbek power system.