The federal Transport Secretariat is considering a proposal from Metro Cí³rdoba, a consortium of Iecsa, Ghella and Alstom, to build a 15.8 km metro network with 17 stations in the city of Cí³rdoba with private finance. Comprising two routes (north-south and east-west) with tunnels 9 m in diameter excavated with TBMs and running at a depth of 9 m below the surface, the project has been costed at USD1.1 billion. An east-west route with 11 stations would run from Avenida Patria under the Suquí­a river to reach the city centre, continuing under Olmos and Colí³n avenues to reach Duarte Quirí³s. With six stations, the proposed north-south route would run under Maipíº and Chacabuco avenues to serve the university campus in the southwest of the city. The project has been endorsed by the city of Cí³rdoba. Visit www.iecsa.com.ar and www.ghella.com 17/08.

Peru's investment promotion committee Proinversion has announced the six candidates already prequalified for a 40-year concession to build and operate the Olmos irrigation and hydro power project: Skanska; Impregilo; Norberto Odebrecht; José Cartellone; OHL-Züblin; and Suez, GTM Dumez and Bouygues. Proinversion expects two other offers from China Electric Power Technology Import & Export Corporation (CETIC) and the Construccií³n y Administracií³n-Hidalgo & Hidalgo-Conivial consortium. The US$245 million scheme requires to resume work on the US$60 million 14 km trans-Andean tunnel put on hold for lack of financing. A further 14 km is needed for completion and 6.2 km has been excavated to date. The tunnel will transfer water from the Atlantic basin to the Pacific basin. 38/02. Peru's investment promotion agency Proinversion has delayed the deadline to submit offers for the Olmos irrigation and hydroelectric concession in Lambayeque department to 11th December from 21st October, 2002. Planners hope the extension will allow more investors to participate in the proposal process. The date to select the concessionaire is set for 18th December and the government will finalize the contract by 30th January, 2003. Visit www.proinversion.gob.pe 44/02. Peru's investment promotion agency Proinversion has halted the bidding process for the Olmos irrigation and hydroelectric concession in Lambayeque for lack of interest. A new tendering will be launched under different guidelines. Interested companies were supposed to submit offers by 11th December. Construction was estimated to cost some US$245 million. A new scheme involves hiring a private concessionaire to invest US$112 million to develop and maintain a 41 m-high dam and 14 km tunnel. The new infrastructure is designed to pull water from the Huancabamba river to irrigate 57,000 ha of land. Visit www.proinversion.gob.pe 51/02.Investment promotion agency ProInversií³n and northern Lambayeque department authorities launched bidding for the Olmos irrigation and hydroelectric project. Works include developing phase one of the 37 m-high Limon dam, the 20 km Trasandino tunnel, of which 6.2 km has already been bored, and 32 km in irrigation canals. The infrastructure is designed to pull water from rivers in the Amazon river basin to irrigate land along the Pacific coast, and generate power. Previous estimates said the project would irrigate 57,000 ha of land and generate at least 150 MW of power. The government of Peru and Lambayeque will contribute US$77 million of the US$112 million project bill. Planners expect to award a 20-year concession on 28th November, 2003 with construction set for a 2004 start. Contact Cecilia Balcí¡zar Suí¡rez, tel. +511 6121200 (ext.1291), fax +511 4212838, e-mail cbalcazar@proinversion.gob.pe and visit www.proinversion.gob.pe/oportunidades/SA/sa014.htm 25/03.The concession for construction, operation and maintenance of the trans-Andean tunnel and the first stage of Limon Dam, both part of the Olmos scheme, is ready. To drive at least 70% of the tunnel, a double-shield hard rock TBM must be used. When the machine drives through rock which requires structural support and lining, reinforced concrete rings will be installed as a final lining against which the thrust cylinders will push to ensure the advance of the machine. The final diameter must not be less than 4.8 m in the sections where a selective lining will be installed. The cylinders will generate a thrust of at least 2,500t. The advance speed in hard rock shall not be lower than 6 cm/min. The machine will be equipped with a segment erector. The cutting head will be equipped with 17" hard rock discs able to handle 250 kN each. The machine will also be equipped with a system to investigate the ground ahead of the face. Progress will be allowed only after prior investigation of the ground to assess the risks in the next 30 metres. There will also be a refrigeration system to lower the temperature in the working zone (pilot compartment and back-up) to allow normal work conditions for the personnel and equipment. The TBM will also be equipped with a sophisticated piloting system to make sure the tunnel is driven with a tolerance of +/- 2 cm. The sections excavated with other methods and equipment must not exceed 30% of the total tunnel length, with no geological investigation of the ground. Visit www.proinversion.gob.pe 38/03.The six prequalified bidders for the construction, operation and maintenance under concession of the trans-Andean tunnel and the first phase of the Limon dam, as part of the Olmos project, are Norberto Odebrecht (Brazil); OHL (Spain); Andrade Gutierrez (Brazil); Consorcio Sudamericano including Hidalgo e Hidalgo (Ecuador), Construccion y Administracion S.A.C. (Peru) and Conevial Constructora e Inversiones (Argentina); Bouygues TP (France); and China Jiansu International Corporation (China). The underground works include support and lining in existing stretches of an access adit (1,908.74 m) and the east and west faces of the trans-Andean tunnel (4,301 m) as well as tunnelling, support and lining of the remaining 15,042.63 metres of the trans-Andean tunnel and tunnelling and support of a side adit (1,077.93 m). Visit www.provinversion.gob.pe 12/04.Brazilian contractor Norberto Odebrecht is the only bidder for the construction, operation and maintenance under concession of the trans-Andean tunnel and the first stage of the Limon dam, both part of the Olmos project which requires a water transfer scheme from the east part of the western side of the Andes through to the west part to irrigate land in Lambayeque district. The project will cost USD189 million. The concessionaire will finance USD112 million and the Peruvian government the remainder. The scheme will transfer 2.05 billion cu m of water per year and allow for the subsequent construction of a 600 MW power station and irrigation of 150,000 hectares of land. If the bid is approved, the concession contract will be awarded to Odebrecht but no date has been specified. Then, Proinversion, Peru's state promotion investment agency, will invited bids for the power station. Click pe/17 for more details on the underground works required in the first stage. Visit www.provinversion.gob.pe and www.odebrecht.com 14/04.Odebrecht won the 20-year Olmos irrigation project concession. Odebrecht asked to be paid the equivalent to USD0.0659/cu m to supply water. The company also pledged to provide USD77 million in financing for the project at 6.3% with a 15-year term, including a five-year grace period. The funds will be provided by the Brazilian government through its investment promotion agency Proex and the Brazilian National Bank for Social and Economic Development (BNDES). The construction of the irrigation project will create more than 10,000 direct and indirect jobs. Once all stages are complete, the Olmos project will supply up to 2,050 million cu m/year of water, have capacity to generate 600 MW of electricity and irrigate more than 150,000 ha for agricultural production. Work will start in six months at the latest. The project includes the excavation with a TBM of 13.8 km of a transandean tunnel. Visit www.proinversion.gob.pe and www.odebrecht.com 22/04.International bidding, deadline 2nd February, 2005 for technical and economic supervision during construction of the Olmos water transfer project, awarded to Odebrecht, including a 13.8 km transandean tunnel. Prequalifiers will be announced on 15th February, 2005. Award in May. Work to begin at end of first quarter of 2005 for completion in 2008. Visitwww.proinversion.gob.pe/oportunidades/SA/sa014.htm or contact Peru's investment promotion agency ProInversion, Lima, tel. +51 5116121200, fax + 51 5114212838, e-mail Mario Hernandez mhernandez@proinversion.gob.pe 04/05.Supervision Olmos, a French-Peruvian consortium headed by Coyne et Bellier with partners Lahmeyer Agua y Energia and Alpha Consult, secured a contract for the supervision of the technical and economic aspects of the Olmos water transfer project. The consortium submitted the best technical bid and the lowest economic offer (USD6.1 million). Lahmeyer Agua y Energia is a subsidiary of Germany's Lahmeyer International. The project includes a 13.8 km rock tunnel in the Andes. Click pe/17. Visit www.coyne-et-bellier.fr and www.liperu.com 18/05.