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MA-Rabat: Design, construction, operation, maintenance and financing of a 500 MW solar power installation programme (EIB)

Request For Proposals

General Information
Country:   Morocco
City/Locality:   RABAT
Notice/Contract Number:   eu:226269-2010
Publication Date:   Jul 31, 2010
Deadline:   Oct 4, 2010
Buyer:   MASEN
Original Language:   English

Contact Information
Address:   MASEN
RABAT
Morocco
Web Site:   www.masen.ma

Goods, Works and Services

 

Summary

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Notice type: BI402 - Contract notice
Regulation of Procurement: European Investment Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and
Developement, European Monetary Institute
EU Official Journal Publication: 147/2010, #226269-2010
Contract Nature: Works
Procedure Type: Restricted procedure
Type of Bid Required: Not defined
Awarding Criteria: Not defined

Original Text

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MASEN
Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy
INTERNATIONAL INVITATION FOR PRE-
QUALIFICATION OF COMPANIES AND
CONSORTIA
for
500 MW SOLAR POWER
INSTALLATION PROGRAM
in
OUARZAZATE, MOROCCO
I. Introduction:
The Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy ("MASEN") is entrusted by law 57/09
to develop and implement the Moroccan Plan for Solar Energy (the "Solar
Plan") with target of a minimum installed capacity of two thousand
megawatts (2,000MW) to be achieved by 2020.
Following the Expression of Interest ("EOI") for the five hundred
megawatts (500MW) solar power complex at Ouarzazate - Morocco (the
"Ouarzazate Program"), launched on March 30th and closed on May 24th,
MASEN intends to select one or more potential sponsor(s) (the "Project
Sponsor(s)") to develop the Ouarzazate Program through one or more
Independent Power Producer ("IPP") project(s) consisting of the design,
financing, construction, operation and maintenance of one or more Thermal
Solar Power Plant(s) with a minimum capacity of one hundred and twenty
five megawatts (125MW) (the "Project(s)"). The Project(s) will be
implemented pursuant to (a) twenty five (25)-year Agreement(s) and the
plant(s) is/are to be built on (a) dedicated site(s) to be provided by
MASEN under contractual terms to be defined. The Project Sponsor(s) will
be selected through an international competitive bidding process from a
pool of Applicants who meet the criteria set forth in this
Pre-Qualification Document.
MASEN seeks to pre-qualify interested Project Sponsor(s) who have the
financial and technical capacity and experience in implementing thermal
solar power generation projects, and invites interested Project Sponsor(s)
to submit Qualification Statements in accordance with the criteria and
procedures set forth in this Pre-Qualification Document. Only the
Applicants' Qualification Statements that demonstrate that they meet all
of the criteria set forth in this Pre-Qualification Document will be
eligible for pre-qualification. A copy of this Pre-Qualification Document
may be collected from MASEN website: www.masen.ma through its e-tendering
solution.
The right to develop the Project(s) will be awarded to the Project
Sponsor(s) that make(s) the most beneficial offer to MASEN according to
the criteria to be disclosed in the Request for Proposals ("RFP") which
will be issued at a later stage. Project Agreements ensuring the
bankability of the proposed Project(s) will be approved by MASEN prior to
the issuance of the RFP and will be an integral part of such RFP.
The Project Sponsor is encouraged to procure locally, in Morocco, part of
its equipment and component related to solar energy power plants or civil
works. As such, it can develop directly or indirectly manufacturing
capacities in Morocco.
MASEN reserves the possibility to participate in the financing of each
Project Company of Ouarzazate Program which is supported by International
Financial Institutions that expressed their "in-principle" interest in
providing funding at preferential terms, including the Clean Technology
Fund.
II. Project description:
In November 2009, the Kingdom of Morocco ("KoM") launched the Solar Plan
in order to develop solar power generation and related local industry with
a target capacity of a minimum of two thousand megawatts (2,000MW) to be
installed by 2020. The implementation of the Plan is the responsibility of
MASEN.
The Plan will allow the KoM to: (i) optimize the generation mix while
reducing dependency on primary energy imports; (ii) meet growing domestic
demand; (iii) encourage the launch of a local renewable energy
manufacturing industry; (iv) promote research & development and training
related to these activities; (v) establish the country as the first North
African developer of scalable solar generation; and (v) minimize carbon
emissions.
The first phase of the Plan is the proposed development of a five hundred
megawatts (500MW) solar power complex approximately ten (10) km East
Northeast (ENE) of Ouarzazate.
The Ouarzazate Program will be developed through different phases. The
first phase will follow the Independent Power Producer ("IPP") model
successfully implemented in Morocco and is expected to comprise one or
more solar plants with a minimum capacity of one hundred and twenty five
megawatts (125) MW (each a "Project"). Based on MASEN requirements, the
first phase Project(s) should be implemented through Thermal Solar Power
Plants, with thermal storage. The first phase is scheduled to begin
operation in early 2014. In order to achieve the target of five hundred
megawatts (500MW) in operation by 2015, subsequent phase(s) will be
launched between the award of the first phase Project(s) and the end of
2012 at the latest. At least one of these subsequent phase(s) will be
dedicated to photovoltaic technologies.
The site retained for the Ouarzazate solar power complex is about two
thousand five hundred (2,500) hectares (ha) and is secured by MASEN. It is
located approximately ten (10) km east northeast of Ouarzazate and about
four (4) km north of the Mansour Ad-Dhabi Reservoir. Connection to the
transmission network will be through an existing two hundred and twenty
five kilovolts (225kV) transmission line located ca. three (3) km east of
the site.
Winning bidder(s) will incorporate (a) Moroccan company(ies) responsible
for the development, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of
each Project awarded (each, a "Project Company").
The ownership of each Project will be structured in a manner that complies
with Moroccan legal framework while enabling non-recourse project
financing.
During the term of the Project, MASEN will purchase electricity generated
pursuant to a twenty five (25)-year Power Purchase Agreement ("PPA") to be
entered into with each Project Company. The electricity will then be sold
to the Office National de l'Electricité ("ONE") under an agreement to be
entered between MASEN and ONE.
MASEN reserves the possibility to participate in the financing of each
Project Company. The Ouarzazate Program is supported by International
Financial Institutions that expressed their "in-principle" interest in
providing funding at preferential terms, including the Clean Technology
Fund.
The rights and obligations of MASEN, ONE and each Project Company will be
set forth in certain contracts including:
— PPAs between MASEN and Project Company and MASEN and ONE,
— Interconnection Agreement between ONE, MASEN and the Project Company,
— Site related agreement between MASEN and the Project Company.
III. Anticipated schedule:
The anticipated schedule for the first phase Projects is as follows:
— Issuance of the Pre-Qualification Document: July 29th, 2010,
— Deadline to respond to the Pre-Qualification Document: October 4th,
2010,
— Issuance of the RFP: November 2010,
— Bid Submission: March 2011,
— Selection of the Preferred Bidder(s): April 2011,
— Finalization of Project Agreements: June 2011,
— Financial Closing/Notice to Proceed: Q4 2011,
— Commercial Operation: Early 2014.
IV. Submission of pre-qualification documents:
(a) An Applicant must submit its Qualification Statement in the form which
can be found on MASEN website.
(b) An Applicant shall submit its Qualification Statement to MASEN through
its e-tendering solution at www.masen.ma, before October 4th, 2010 at
10:00AM, Moroccan time. Submissions in hard copy are also permitted by
mail or by hand at the following address :
MASEN, Ouarzazate Pre-Qualification, Station de traitement, Av. Mohamed
Bel Hassan Ouazzani, Rabat - Maroc.
V. Evaluation and notification procedure:
The procedure for evaluating Qualification Statements will be as follows:
(a) After the Pre-Qualification Deadline for Submission, MASEN will post
the names of all Applicants on its website.
(b) MASEN will also announce the timetable for reviewing the Qualification
Statements received and disclosing the results of the Pre-Qualification
process.
(c) MASEN shall evaluate each Applicant's Qualification Statement on the
basis of criteria as set out in Section V of the Invitation for
Pre-qualification to be found on MASEN website.
(d) No Applicant may contact directly any member of MASEN to discuss the
Pre-Qualification process from the issuance to the closing.
(e) MASEN will post a list of the names of all Pre-Qualified and non
Pre-Qualified Applicants at http://www.masen.ma/. Information relating to
the evaluation of applications, and recommendation for prequalification,
shall not be disclosed to Applicants or any other persons not officially
concerned with such process until the notification of prequalification is
made to an Applicant.
VI. Disclaimer:
(a) MASEN reserves the right to reject any Applicant's Qualification
Statement, if it does not comply with the criteria described in Section V
of the Invitation for Pre-qualification to be found on MASEN website,
without thereby incurring any liability to the Applicant.
(b) MASEN reserves the right in its sole discretion to modify any of the
rules and procedures relating to the Pre-Qualification process, or without
prior notice or assigning any reason thereto, to discontinue the
Pre-Qualification process at any time without thereby incurring any
liability to any Applicant. MASEN will post any related communication on
its website.
(c) Neither MASEN nor any of their agents, representatives, advisers or
consultants will be liable or responsible to any person for any cost or
expense incurred in responding to this Pre-Qualification Document or in
any investigation or transaction whether or not consummated, which may
follow.
(d) MASEN reserves the right to contact and verify the information
provided by each Applicant in its Qualification Statements at any time
during or after the Pre-Qualification process.
Please note that this notice is for your information only.
We try our best to have the most accurate and up-to-date information available on our web site, but we cannot guarantee that all of the information provided is error-free.
If you have any suggestions for updates/corrections for this notice, please let us know.