Eight companies/consortia had expressed interest in Singapore’s second and largest desalination plant when the tender for the project closed on 23 October 2010.
Spanish company Befesa Agua was the only proposer not listed as quoting a first-year water tariff for the design, build, own and operate contract. Leading those who did set a price was local company Hyflux, which posted a bid of Sing$ 0.45/m³ (US$ 0.35/m³).
The plant in Tuas is expected to be completed by 2013. When operational, it will supply some 320,000 m³/d of water over a 25-year period from 2013 to 2038.
Other bids (with first year tariffs/m³) came from:
Keppel Seghers/Beijing Enterprises Water Group – Sing$ 0.67 (US$ 0.52)
United Engineers NeWater/IDE Technologies – Sing$ 0.93 (0.72)
Leighton Engineering & Construction/Tadagua – Sing$ 1.35 (US$ 1.04)
Alternative bid- Sing$ 0.62 (US$ 0.48)
Sembcorp Utilities – Sing$ 1.42 (US$ 1.09)
Alternative bid – Sing$ 1.40 (US$ 1.08)
Sembawang Equity Capital – Sing$ 1.59 (US$ 1.22)
YTL Power International Berhad – Sing$ 1.64 (US$ 1.29)
The client, Singapore’s national water agency, PUB, said that, in evaluating the bids, it will, among other things, look at the robustness of the process design and the operational strength of the bidders, based on their track record in delivering similar projects and their financial strength.
The tender is expected to be awarded by the end of the year.