Macedonia To Call New Tender for Hydro Power Plants Cebren, Galiste Next Week - Media

The tender was canceled as the two bidders, German energy company RWE and Austria's Verbund, requested a revision of the tender criteria,  the daily quoted Economy Minister Fatmir Besimi as saying. Besimi did not provide further details.

The previous tender for the construction of the two plants on river Crna, in the south of the country, was called in June. The winner was to build the plants jointly with Macedonian power producer AD ELEM and then operate the plants under a concession agreement. The construction works were expected to start next spring and be completed within seven years.

Cebren will have an installed capacity of 330 megawatts and Galiste will have a 193-megawatt capacity.

The project, which is expected to cost 700 million euros ($ 882 million) according to Dnevnik, is seen as crucial to overcoming power shortages in the country.

Macedonia consumes around eight million megawatthours of electricity per year, of which it imports some 40%. The country faces serious challenges in its power infrastructure, including insufficient power links with its neighbours.

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