Eskom Again Delays Request For S African Power Project Proposals

South African state-owned electricity company Eskom Holdings Ltd. Tuesday said it has delayed its request for proposals for new power plant projects until May 2009.

"This is in order to allow the regulatory environment to follow its due process of public comments, consequential revisions and final sign off by the State Law Advisor," the company said.

The timeframe had already been delayed due to the finalization of the regulatory framework and the government support package needed to support the base load independent producer program successfully.

A spokesman for the company wasn't immediately able to say what the previous deadline was.

Eskom in October prequalified 23 companies to bid on long-term power plant projects. Eskom, with the backing of the South African government, is rolling out a large investment program to alleviate power supply constraints.

The program will grant long-term contracts - potentially up to 25 years - to independent power producers who win the right to build and operate new power plants in South Africa.

Eskom expects the program will increase the country's power generation capacity by 2,100 megawatts to 4,500 MW between 2012 and 2017. The minimum power plant capacity has been set at 200 MW.

 
   Company Web site: http://www.eskom.co.za 
 

-By Alex MacDonald, Dow Jones Newswires; [phone]; [e-mail]