HEP CHOOSES 3 BIDS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THERMAL POWER PLANT

( Editorial: --> 8112 ) ZAGREB, July 15 (Hina) - The Croatian Power Supply (HEP) has selected three offers for the construction of a coal-fired thermal power plant 2x350 MW, which are to be further negotiated. The companies whose bids were chosen are AES from the United States, the consortium PowerGen/VKR from Great Britain and Germany and GEC- Alsthom, which represents firms from Great Britain, France and Germany, a HEP statement said. The HEP is to draft a proposal for the final Government decision on this question by the end of November this year. The project for the construction of the power plant is being developed on the locations of a former military barracks in Lukovo Sugarje and a former alumina plant near Obrovac, Zadar hinterland. Which location will be chosen is to be determined through administrative procedure conducted by authorised bodies and the State Agency for Environmental Protection. Preparations for the project started back in 1995. In July 1996, the HEP signed a letter of understanding with the US company ENSERCH, but kept the right to invite other international bids. After several revisions the ENSERCH offer was judged not competitive. In March and April this year, the HEP organised a public presentation of five bidders. Along with the three said firms, participating in the bidding were also the German company STEAG and Britain's National Power. (hina) rml 162251 MET jul 98