Invitation to prequalify for construction of the 660 MW Porce III hydropower project in the northeast zone of the Antioquia region, 147 km from Medellin. Interested parties have until 2nd September, 2004 to buy the prequalification documents and until 16th September, 2004 to return the prequalification documents.The scheme is being developed by Empresas Publicas de Medellin (EEPPM). Conceptual design and update of the environmental impact study by EEPPM. Detail design by Ingetec and Klohn Crippen.Retaining works include a 170 million cu m reservoir; a 151 m-high concrete face rockfill dam; a 653.3 m-long 10.5 m-diameter divertion tunnel; a 37.5 m-high rolled compacted concrete cofferdam; a provisional cofferdam; a 251.5 m-long access adit; a bottom discharge; a spillway; and a water intake system comprising a submerged structure, a gate shaft, two 5 m-wide by 7.8 m-high wheel gates, an upper headrace tunnel and the gate shaft drainage adit. The power station works include a headrace tunnel and a powerhouse. The headrace tunnel is divided in a 12,301 m-long x 10.2 m-diameter upper section following a 1% slope and a 304 m-long x 10.2 m-diameter lower section with a 7.7% slope. Both sections are connected by means of a 149 m-long 10.3 m-diameter vertical shaft. The lower headrace section will connect the four generating unit branches through a 6.1 m-diameter steel lined tunnel. Three intermediate adits will be opened to facilitate the construction of the headrace tunnel. Adit 1 is 520.6 m long, the second is 648.9 m and the third 465.2 m. A 121.15 m-long x 18.2 m-wide x 40.7 m-high underground power house will be located upstream of El Boqueron stream, on the left side of the Porce River. The power house will have an access tunnel 493.25 m in length, with a horseshoe section, 7 m excavated diameter and 7.6% slope.The tailrace works include four draft tube tunnels for each generating unit, with a variable length ranging from 50.25 m to 57.05 m and a horseshoe section varying from 7.94 m upstream to 7.75 m downstream; a 76.41 m-long discharge header tunnel, with a horseshoe section of a variable width between 5.7 m and 10.4 m; a 827.45 m-long tailrace tunnel featuring a 4.9 m-high horseshoe section at the walls and a 5.1 m radius semi-circular vault; a 348 m downstream surge tunnel, with a 8.5 m-wide x 8.7 m-high horseshoe section, 4.45 m high at the walls and 4.5 m radius semi-circular vault. The downstream surge tunnel will start at the powerhouse access tunnel, will connect to the tailrace tunnel and will be used as a construction tunnel.Contact Empresas Píºblicas Medellí­­n E.S.P., Subgerencia Proyectos Generacií³n, Carrera 58 No. 42-125, Piso 9, Oficina 09-387, Medellí­­n. E-mail p3central@eeppm.com. Visit www.eeppm.com/porce3/index.htm for a description of the project in English. 35/04.The three prequalified bidders for construction of the water tunnel, underground powerhouse and associated works as part of the Porce III hydropower scheme are Norberto Odebrecht; consortium CCC Porce III including Construcoes Comercio Camargo Correa (Brazil), Conconcreto and Coninsa - Ramon H, both of Colombia; and the Hidro Porce JV set up by Ferrovial Agroman and three Colombian partners: El Condor, Grupo Odinsa and Mincivil. Tenders have to be submitted on 29th March, 2005 at the latest. Contract award and work start expected around June 2005. Click co/18. Visit www.eeppm.com/servicios/energia/web-proy-internet/index.htm 11/05.Colombian multi-utility Empresas Píºblicas de Medellí­n (EPM) has awarded USD449 million in construction contracts for the 600 MW Porce III hydroelectric project to Brazilian-Colombian consortium CCC Porce III. CCC Porce III is a consortium comprising Brazilian construction firm Construí§oes e Comercio Camargo Correa (50%) and Colombian firms Conconcreto (32%) and Coninsa & Ramí³n H. (18%). CCC Porce III bid USD209 million for the contract to build the powerhouse and USD240 million for the dam contract. CCC Porce III is scheduled to start initial construction works in December. The construction of the powerhouse is scheduled to take about two years for excavation and foundation works, four years for construction of the 12.3 km headrace tunnel and five years to complete the project. The construction of the dam works is scheduled to take 1.5 years to redirect the Porce river, 4.5 years to complete the outlet channel and five years to finish the dam. The first unit of the Porce III project, 147 km northeast of Medellin, is scheduled to start operations in June 2010. The project should enter full operations in 2011. Click co/18 for details on civil engineering works. Visit www.eeppm.com/porce3/index.htm, www.cccc.camargocorrea.com.br, www.conconcreto.com and www.coninsaramonh.com 49/05.

Building on the 125 km Bosa-Granada-Girardot stretch of the Bogota-Buenaventura corridor to begin in first quarter of 2003. Works include a 4.1 km single tunnel in Sumapaz. The segment will be awarded under a 16-year concession estimated to require investment of US$140 million. Visit www.invias.gov.co 35/02.Invias, Colombia's transport ministry, plans to open bidding this semester for a concession to build, operate and maintain a highway between Bogota and Girardot. Works include a four-lane, 121 km highway with the 4.5 km Santa Rosa tunnel in Boquerí³n to avoid a dangerous bent called Nariz del Diablo. Award is planned for second half of 2003 and construction would begin in 2004. Required investment: US$140 million. Visit www.invias.gov.co 07/03.Open call for tenders published by the national concessions institute (INCO), deadline 26th November, 2003 for design, construction, rehabilitation, operation and maintenance of the Bosa-Granada-Girardot highway. The 14-year concession entails the construction of a 126 km-long highway linking Bogota with Girardot, requiring a 4.3 km tunnel in Sumapaz. Visit www.mintransporte.gov.co/inco.htm, www.mintransporte.gov.co/inco/Bogota_Girardot_Pliego.doc, www.concesiones.gov.co and www.inverlink.com.co or contact Instituto nacional de concesiones, Gabriel Ospina Ramí­­rez, Edificio Ministerio de Transporte - CAN, Avenida el Dorado, Bogotí¡. Tel. +57 3240800, fax +57 3240800 (extension 1309), e-mail mintrans@mintransporte.gov.co or Inverlink, Carrera 7 n° 71 - 52 Torre B Piso 15, Bogotí¡ Tel. +57 3122726, fax +57 3123045, e-mail inverlink@inverlink.com.co. Read E-News Weekly 17/2003. 42/03.The process to select a concessionaire to operate the Bogota-Girardot highway has been suspended at the request of the interested bidders as the original early January deadline did not enable them to put together all the required details. The bidding process will reopen on 27th January, 2004 and close on 10th February. The winner will receive a 14-year concession to build and maintain a 126 km-long highway linking Bogota with Cundimarca department's capital Girardot, including a a 4.3 km tunnel. The project's USD160 million estimated cost will be recouped via tolls. 04/04.The national concessions institute (Inco) has awarded to consortium Promesa de Sociedad Futura Autopista Bogota-Girardot S.A. the concession for the Bogota-Girardot dual carriageway. The consortium includes Alejandro Char, Vergel y Castellanos Ingenieros Asociados, Alvarez y Collins S.A., MNV S.A., and Gas Kapital. The 126 km road link includes the 4.3 km El Boqueron tunnel, from the so-called Nariz del Diablo to the Sumapaz river bridge. Construction is expected to take four years. The total investment has been budgeted at Ps882 billion. Subscribe to E-News Weekly 17/2003. 29/04.Colombian highway concessionaire San Rafael is preparing to launch a number of tender processes for the construction of the Girardot-Ibagué highway and rehabilitation of the Ibagué-Cajamarca section. The company is currently working to conclude the concession contract signing process, taking all the legal steps necessary to start works as soon as possible. The concessionaire, awarded the project in July of this year, submitted a COP349 billion investment plan. The 20-year concession contract includes carrying out all the necessary technical and financial studies, including the project's environmental impact, along with the rehabilitation, construction, expansion and operation of the highway. Works will also include the construction of a tunnel and bypasses. Rehabilitation works will be carried out over 93.7 km of highway, while construction works will total 73.4 km. The concessionaire is expected to hire machinery and purchase steel, concrete, asphalt, and other construction materials, for a total of nearly COP333 billion. The concessionaire is formed by 10 companies: Aseo Técnico, Codesa, Constructora Colpatria, Constructora San Isidro, HB Estructuras Metí¡licas, Latinco, Mincivil, Sadelec, Termotécnica Coindustrial, and Topco. Section 2 is the 10.3 km Gualanday road bypass, a single carriageway with two 3.65 m lanes and 1.8 m shoulders. The project includes the single tube Deza tunnel, 1.8 km in length. Visit http://direccion.camara.gov.co/camara/site/artic/20060510/asocfile/apendice_a___gic___20_12_2006.doc 49/07.

Breakthrough reported on the 4.5 km Buenavista tunnel, 7.34 m-wide carriageway, between Bogota and Villavicencio. Cost is Ps172 billion. Italian jv Recchi-Grandi Lavori Fincosit started tunnelling in October and November, 1995 before ConConcreto took over the job in March, 1998. 50/01.

Coviandes has awarded Indra the EUR25 million contract for design, installation and start-up of the intelligent traffic systems as well as the control and communications systems for the new 45 km of the Bogota-Villavicencio divided highway in Colombia. Indra's technology will control the 18 tunnels, 41 bridges and three overpasses that will allow doubling the roadway along approximately one third of its length. Visit http://www.indracompany.com/en/noticia/indra-will-implement-traffic-management-technology-18-tunnels-along-bogota-villavicencio-div  and http://www.coviandes.com. 25/14.

Tenders invited, deadline mid-August, 2001, for $216 million, 8.6 km-long, DBO road tunnel together with parallel emergency tunnel and 3.8 km of access roads. Contract duration 60 months, operating concession 7 years. Visit www.invias.co 17/01. Andean Development Fund will provide $100 million towards cost of scheme for 8.6 km-long tunnel currently open to BOT bid. Visit www.caf.com and www.invias.co 29/01. Bidders are ConConcreto, ICA, Skanska, Ferrovial and Bouygues. To be the world's highest tunnel culminating at 2,500 m elevation between Bogota and Buenaventura, with 8 m-wide carriageway and clearance of 4.7 m. Parallel emergency tunnel of 4.5 m-diameter connected to the main tunnel with 17 cross passages of 480 m each. Hardrock TBM to be used. Investment revised at US$222 million. Contract to be awarded on 28th December, 2001. Visit www.invias.gov.co 44/01. No bid has been received for the construction of the 8.6 km La Lí­­nea tunnel. Project too risky for the five interested contractors according to the National Road Administration. Ministry of Transport to retender the project before year-end. Visit www.invias.gov.co 50/01. The design and construction of the La Lí­­nea tunnel is being retendered from 11th January to 11th February, 2002 after the first tendering process fell through on 28th November, 2001 as no bid was submitted by any of the five prequalified contractors. Throughout the failed process, the shortlisted firms requested to use other techniques than those stipulated within the original project for the design and construction of the ventilation equipment, the electromechanical systems, and the rescue tunnel. They also failed to obtain the required insurance policies. Invias, the National Highways Institute, has changed the project to meet these requirements. This 8.6 km mountain tunnel is estimated at US$233 million. Visit www.invias.gov.co 03/02. The tender for the 8.6 km La Lí­­nea tunnel was declared void for the second time as no bid was submitted by Coltíºneles, Ferrovial and Bouygues, the three companies who bought the tendering documents. None of them found international insurance companies ready to back the project as it is now. Inví­­as, the national roads administration, has modified the project and is about to negotiate directly with the three companies. Visit www.invias.gov.co 11/02. Plans to award the design and construction of the 8.6 km La Lí­­nea tunnel directly to one of the three companies who bought the bidding documents have been shelved and a third tender is to take place as of 12th April, 2002. Deadline 14th May, 2002. The companies who already bought the tender rules - Conconcreto, Ferrovial, and Bouygues - will not have to acquire them again. Policies to be taken out as guarantees, compliance and social security commitments will stand up at 13.5%, 10% and 5% respectively of the contract of over US$230 million. A fourth must be acquired for another 10% of the project. Contract award programmed for 10th July, 2002. Visit www.invias.gov.co 13/02. Third call for tenders to build the 8.6 km La Lí­­nea tunnel, deadline 20th May, 2002. Winner will be announced on 12th July. The project failed to attract bids on two occasions due to excessive guarantees and the unfavourable maintenance part of the contract. Visit www.invias.gov.co 17/02.Government to invite tenders for the fourth time at the end of the first half of 2003 for construction of the La Lí­­nea tunnel, first section. Tender value $55 million. Full project to cost $233 million. The 8.6 km tunnel will cut journey time and transport cost from Buenaventura, the main Colombian port on the Pacific coast, and the centre of the country. Visit www.invias.gov.co 48/02.Call for tenders, deadline 10th December, 2003 for construction of the La Linea tunnel, phase I, as part of the Bogota-Buenaventura road link, section Ibagué-Armenia. The project consists in building a 8.6 km-long 4.5 m-diameter rescue tunnel aimed at investigating the geotechnical and geological conditions of the massif for detailed design of the main tunnel. The contractor will build the access roads to the portals, the tunnel using the drill/blast method and both portals. The lowest portal, named Galicia, is located approximately 16 km from the town of Armenia, at an altitude of 2,300 m whereas the highest portal, named Bermellí³n, is located 37.8 km from the town of Ibagué, at an altitude of 2,505 m. Contact Instituto Nacional de Ví­­as, Direccií³n general, Gerencia tíºnel de la Lí­­nea, Transversal 45 No. 26-60, CAN, Auditorio Primer Piso, Bogotí¡ or visit http://npasaje.invias.gov.co/sinac/modulopublicacionportal/publicacionportal.asp, then click on Licitaciones and Pre-pliegos de condiciones, or www.invias.gov.co, then click on Contratacií³n, Licitaciones, and Pre-pliegos de condiciones. International contractors looking for a local contact person for technical and logistic matters with the government and environment authorities may get in touch with John Jairo Cabrera Ramos, Mining engineer and business development manager, e-mail minexplot@hotmail.com 44/03.The national planning department (DNP) has given the go-ahead for the construction of the La Linea road tunnel by providing Ps30 billion (USD11 million) in funding. The pilot tunnel construction will cost Ps60 billion, but with Ps30 billion committed from DNP, Invias, the national highway institute, is now able to start a bidding process. The pilot tunnel will define the geological risk and determine whether two one-way tunnels will be built or if it will be expanded into a unique bi-directional tunnel. The 8.6 km La Linea tunnel is designed to link Calarca and Cajamarca municipalities, west of Bogota. It will cost USD220 million. Visit www.dnp.gov.co and www.invias.gov.co 06/04.Two bids have been submitted for the La Linea pilot tunnel project. Bids were received from a consortium of Conconcreto and CSS Construcciones, and from consortium Tunelesa-Condor, comprising Tunelesa and Construcciones El Condor.Seven companies submitted offers for work control. They are: Ingetec; consortium Interventoria Tunel Piloto de la Linea; consortium Ingeneria Andina; consortium DIS-EDL Ltda; Interlinea JV; consortium Tunel de la Linea; and consortium Proyecto Tunel Fase I. Bids were originally due on 30th April but the deadline was extended to allow more time for interested firms to put their bids together. The 8.6 km tunnel will link the Calarca and Cajamarca municipalities, west of Bogota. Visit www.invias.gov.co 22/04.The Conlinea consortium set up by Conconcreto and Carlos Solarte has won the contract to bore the La Linea pilot tunnel for 74.9 billion pesos (USD27.6 million). The 8.5 km-long pilot tunnel will have a diameter of 4.5 m and will run between the departments of Tolima and Quindio. The work will enable the assessment of the geological risks of building a tunnel that would reduce transit times through the mountains to the port of Buenaventura to 40 minutes. The worksite will be located at an altitude of 2,600 m above sea level. The pilot tunnel will take between 32 and 39 months to complete. Work is due to begin in four months. Visit www.invias.gov.co and www.conconcreto.com 25/04.The Interlinea JV has been chosen for the work inspection and construction supervision of the 8.5 km 4.5 m diameter La Linea pilot tunnel. Visit www.invias.gov.co 31-32/04.INVíAS, the Colombian road authority, published the pre-bidding rules for the studies, design, social and environmental management, land expropriation, construction, operation and maintenance of the 8.8 km La Linea tunnel parallel to the pilot tunnel, in Cajamarca-Calarcí¡ direction, and 24 kilometres of new access roads. The tunnel will accommodate two 3.65 m-wide traffic lanes, a 1 m berm and 0.75 cm shoulders. The minimum carriageway width is 9.30 metres. There will also be emergency parking lay-bys at intervals of 750 metres to one kilometre, firefighting niches every 125 metres at the maximum and rescue niches every 250 metres at the maximum. The contract also includes the final studies and designs to enlarge the pilot tunnel in Calací¡-Cajamarca direction and convert it into rescue tunnel in case of emergency in the main tunnel. Click here. Visit www.invias.gov.co, section Contratacií³n or contact INVíAS, tel. +57 13831000, ext. 1185, fax +57 13831000, ext. 1391 or e-mail gerenciadegrandesproyectos@invias.gov.co 38/07.The national government signed on 21st September, 2007 a resolution which officially opens the bidding process for the construction of the central Andean crossing including the 8.8 km Second Centenary (or La Linea) tunnel and the Calarcí¡-Cajamarca road dualling. The tender value is estimated at COP620 billion (USD375 million). Submission deadline is December. Bid assessment and contract award are scheduled in January 2008. Work is planned to commence in April 2008. Excavation of the tunnel will end in May 2010 for opening in January 2012 while the second carriageway between Calarcí¡ and Cajamarca will open in May 2010. These are estimated dates published on the website of the Invias, the national road and highway institute. Click here and here. Visit www.invias.gov.co 40/07.International call for tenders, deadline 1st April, 2008 for construction of the 8.8 km La Linea tunnel. The bidding process has been declared deserted for the third time on 6th February. Due to its little economic attractiveness, none of the five consortia initially interested in the project, who purchased the bidding rules, has presented an offer to build the tunnel, first estimated at COP611.5 billion. The national highway institute Invias has decided to open a fourth tendering phase but this time, candidates will not have to buy the bidding rules, in accordance with the recently revised procurement and contracting Law 80, which sets guidelines for the selection of contractors during public tenders. All foreign consortia complying with the technical, financial and legal criteria will be allowed to bid. The new rules will also allow foreign contractors to have unlimited share in a consortium, which before could not exceed 45%. In addition, foreign construction firms bidding alone or 100% foreign consortia will also be admitted. These new rules are intended to catch up the delay caused by the three failed attempts to award the project. A contractor is expected to be appointed in end May or early June. Construction will begin two months later. Click co/15.The main change is that the project is now divided into several contracts: one for the dual carriageway between Calarcí¡ and Cajamarca, another contract for the main tunnel and finally a third deal for the E&M equipment and ventilation systems of the tunnel. The bidders will also be allowed to submit an alternative to make the pilot tunnel, currently under construction, fit for vehicular traffic. Contact Inví­as, Grupo de licitaciones y concursos, Edificio Inví­as, Transversal 45 No. 26-60, CAN, Primer piso, Bogotí¡ D.C. Tel. +57 13831000. E-mail pliego@invias.gov.co and grandesproyectos@invias.gov.co. Visit www.invias.gov.co/invias/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=599A compulsory visit for bidders is organised for them to be allowed to participate in the tendering process. The attendant must be civil or road engineer and has to show written permission from the contractor he represents. Interested companies looking for a local business partner for assistance in the submission of bids and consulting on other aspects of the project may contact Colombia-based José Guillermo Peí±aloza Cortés, Ingeniero civil, e-mail pecorjg@yahoo.com.ar or pecorjg@hotmail.comAs of 10th February, tunnelling of the La Linea pilot bore had reached 7,005.70 metres, which means there is still 1,548 metres to go to join the two sides. This is expected at the end of May. From the Bermellon mouth in Tolima district, crews had dug 4,193.60 metres while from the Las Americas mouth in Quindí­o district, a 2.812,10 m tunnel progress had been achieved. The tunnel advances 15 metres on average each day. 08/08.With a budget of COP703 billion, the Ministry of transport and the National highway institute (Invias) reinstated the tender process of the La Linea tunnel. Interested candidates have until 16th July, 2008 to submit their economic, legal and technical bids. The contract will be awarded in September. From 12th May and during three days, interested companies have to register online on Invias website, a prerequisite to continue in the process. Then, a 60-day period will open that can be extended a further 30 days at the request of proponents, until the bids are submitted. Visit www.invias.gov.co/invias/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=599 to get registered. This time, the national government granted COP92 billion more to the budget and plans that the project will be built within 70 months. The new tendering process eliminates rigidities that previously hampered a greater participation from foreign companies. It includes a different, more flexible scheme to avoid that the tender process be declared void as it already happened three times, because proponents argued that the amount of the works at the time, budgeted at COP611 billion, was not sufficient in view of the magnitude of the project. In this new intent to award the contract, the process will be modular.The first module entails the tunnelling, paving and cladding of the tunnel and the construction of the first dual carriageway from Cajamarca to the tunnel mouth in Tolima. The second module is for the studies, design and construction of the second dual carriageway between Calarcí¡ and the Quindí­o portal. Tenders for E&M equipment will only be invited in 2011, for example the ventilation system, an aspect that had significant economic weight in the initial tender and was one of the main factors of risk.The proponents will have to bid for the two modules but, depending on the economic value of each one of them, the government will decide if it awards the two modules to the same contractor or in separate contracts. Additionally, the successful bidder(s) will be allowed to import machinery free of tax. For further information, contact Oficina de Comunicaciones del Instituto Nacional de Ví­as, tel. +57 4285236 or 3831000, ext. 1230, 1242, 1251 y 1309 or visit www.invias.gov.coThe La Linea tunnel project includes a 8.8 km tunnel designed to cross the Andean mountain range and a dual carriageway connecting the tunnel with Cajamarca (Tolima) and Calarcí¡ (Quindí­o). The value of the Calarcí¡-Cajamarca section amounts to COP719 billion. The Calarcí¡-Cajamarca corridor project is divided in four sections: Buenaventura-Buga (section 1), Buga-La Paila (section 2 in concession), La Paila-Armenia-Ibagué, included the La Linea tunnel (section 3), and Ibagué-Bogota (section 4).Currently, Invias is building the pilot tunnel, which is expected to be finished in the first half of 2008. It serves as geological and geotechnical exploration to reduce the geological risks during construction of the main tunnel. As of 9th May, 2008, the pilot tunnel was 91% completed. Click here and co/15. 20/08.A total of eight consortiums submitted offers for the construction of the La Lí­nea tunnel. They are Korean consortium Posco Engineering & Construction-Daewoo Engineering & Construction; a Colombian-Chinese consortium named CGMA that includes local firm APA, and Chinese firms Mid-South Design & Research Institute (MSDI) and China Gezhouba Group Corp. (CGGC); Colombian-Brazilian consortium Plan Vial Pací­fico 2008 formed by Mario Huertas Cotes, OAS, Procopal, Meyan, and Ingenierí­a de Ví­as; Colombian consortium Conlí­nea that includes Conconcreto, CSS Constructores, Estyma Estudios y Manejos, Carlos Alberto y Luis Héctor Solarte Solarte; Imprecontec, an Italian-Colombian consortium of Impregilo, Conalví­as, Técnica Vial S en C, Infracon, and Gevia; the GTC JV grouping Grandi Lavori Fincosit of Italy, Translogistic, and Contorn Construcoes Ecomercio; a Mexican-Colombian consortium that includes Condux SA de CV, Constructora Herreí±a Fronpeca, Constructora Carlos Collins, Alvarez y Collins, Promotora Montecarlos Ví­as, Tíºneles de Colombia, Construirte, Gayco, Tecnicí­viles, HyH Arquitectura, and Miguel Camilo Castillo Huertas, and lastly Futura Tunnelexa, a joint venture of local firm Vergel y Castellanos, China Railway 18th Bureau Group Co., Oilequip, José Javier Castellanos Bautista, and Alfonso Vergel Herní¡ndez. The initiative is a major infrastructure development project designed to reduce travel time between Bogotí¡ and the country's Buenaventura port from over 12 hours currently to eight hours. The project will require an estimated investment of COP703 billion. Work proposals cannot exceed 70 months. The deadline to submit offers had been set for 29th August after having been pushed back several times, and was finally extended to 29th September. The project will be awarded to the consortium that submitted the lowest offer. National road institute Inví­as will announce the awardee on 10th November. Construction is due to start in December and conclude in 2012. Click here. 41/08.Construction of the 8.8 km-long La Lí­nea tunnel and the two-lane roads from Calarcí¡ in Quindí­o department and to Cajamarca in Tolima department, overall length 23.7 km, awarded to Segundo Centenario, value EUR206 million, of which the tunnel will account for EUR113 million. This is the fourth bidding attempt since August, 2001 (co/15). Tunnel excavation, at an altitude of over 2,500 m, should begin in the second half of 2009 and last 33 months. Commissioning is set for 2013. Segundo Centenario consortium comprises Colombian construction firms ílvarez y Collins, Carlos Collins, Promotora Montercalo Ví­as, Tíºneles de Colombia, Construirte, Constructores Gayco, Técnicas y Construcciones Civiles (Tecniciviles), HH Arquitectura and Miguel Camilo Castillo with Mexican firm Condux and Spanish firm Herrera Fronpeca. Visit www.invias.gov.co. 04/09.

Open invitation to tender, deadline 06.06.2017, for  the completion of the final 12% of the 8.8 km-long La Linea tunnel project and the second Calarca - Cajamarca roadway. Value of the contract is EUR68.74 million (COP224.74 million). Contact Instituto Nacional de Vías – INVÍAS, Bogotà, email pliego@invias.gov.co. Visit https://www.contratos.gov.co/consultas/detalleProceso.do?numConstancia=17-11-6593805#. Ref. SA-PRE-DO-GTL-013-2017. 22/17.

The Consortium La Linea composed of Constructora Conconcreto SA (50%) and CSS Costructores SA (50%) secured the EUR64.58 million (COP224.41 million) contract, excluding VAT,  for  the completion of the final 12% of the 8.8 km-long La Linea tunnel project and the second Calarca - Cajamarca roadway. Contact Instituto Nacional de Vías – INVÍAS, Bogotà, email pliego@invias.gov.co. Visit https://www.contratos.gov.co/consultas/detalleProceso.do?numConstancia=17-11-6593805. Ref. SA-DO-GTL-013-2017. 29/17.

Brown & Root, in association with Schroders, Baker & McKenzie and Corfivalle, to provide the Government of Colombia with financial, technical and legal advice for an integrated transport system, part of which may be in tunnel in city centre. Visit www.halliburton.com August 2000.

  Soletanche undertaking 10 km of pipejacking using two Herrenknecht machines of 2.6 m and 2.25 m diameter. December 1999.

In the mountains of central-west comprising machine hall 87 m-long, 19.5 m-wide with 598 m2 face, powerhouse 52 m-long, 15.2 m-wide with 691 m2 face, transformer room 87 m-long with 130 m2 face, deviation tnnel 550 m-long, 11 m-wide with 109 m2 face and outlet tunnel 4.2 km-long, 9 m-wide with 72 m2 face. Most tunnel surfaces are secured using wet thin stream shotcrete applied with Aliva equipment mounted on Dieci chassis using a mix comprising 420 kg cement, 830 kg sand, 1 t gravel (12 mm) and 202 litres of water. Sept 1999.

Urban Development Institute invites bids from consultants for preliminary studies and technical assessments for the design of underground metro system. Nov 1998.   Senate approved plans to invite tenders end-1999 and government will contribute $71 million to project over five year period with a further $236.7 million to come from national development plan budget. Any further finance to come from local authorities. Line 1 to be 29.3 km long with 23 stations of which five in the city centre will be underground. Contract for geotechnical studies awarded to domestic consortium of PSI and AIM. Sept 1999.   The Colombian government is considering plans to reduce the cost of the Bogota metro from $3.04 billion to $2.7 billion. Consultants have proposed reducing the concession from 33 to 25 years, reducing construction time for Line 1 from seven to five years, and separating financing of construction and operation. February 2000.  Line 1 will be built in two stages, and should be completed by 2010. Decision to go ahead expected by end-February, 2000. The first stage will probably comprise 21.7 km elevated track, 1 km at grade, and 6.6 km underground. It will have 23 stations, including five underground. The concession could be awarded in November, enabling construction to start early next year. February 2000.A total of 56 national and foreign companies have expressed interest in the conceptual design for Bogota's mass transit metro network and the technical, legal and financial scope of the first metro line. Among these, 35 are joint ventures from various countries. The second phase of the process is the evaluation of the information sent by the candidates to then establish a shortlist in accordance with the requirements of the World Bank. Then, the prequalified candidates will be invited to prepare and submit their bids. To know the companies who expressed interest, visit www.transitobogota.gov.co/admin/contenido/documentos/FirmasProyec-metro_10_16_42.pdfThe Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is ready to lend half of the USD2.5 billion required to build the subway train in the Colombian capital. Currently, the IDB is financing prefeasibility studies to determine where the subway should run, whether it would be underground and how to interconnect it with the existing bus rapid transit system Transmilenio and the existing railways linking Bogota with surrounding towns. Over the next four years, the IDB will invest USD40 million to carry out legal, financial and environmental studies. The project most likely will be financed by several multilateral lenders and private loans. 19/08.Five engineering joint ventures, with Colombian partners, and one fully Spanish candidate have been shortlisted among the 56 candidates who participated in the bidding process for the conceptual design of the first metro line of Bogota. The successful joint venture will have to determine the alignment of the first line and its costs along with the technical, legal and financial scope of the system. The selected bidders are Halcrow with Guzmí¡n y Escobar Asociados (UK-Colombia); ILF with Hamburg-Consult, Urbanismo y Sistemas de Transporte, Ernst & Young, Muí±oz & Tamayo and B & C (Austria-Germany-Mexico-UK-Colombia); Ineco with Metro de Madrid (Spain); Sener with TMB, ALG, Incoplan, Santander Investment y Garrigues (Spain-Colombia); Pöyry Infra with Corficolombiana, Posse Herrera & Ruiz, Merryll Linch Pierce Fenner and Cal y Mayor Asociados (Mexico-Argentina-Colombia), and Steer Davies & Gleave with Akiris de Colombia, Citivalores, Baker & Mackensie Colombia and Figueredo Ferraz (Brazil-UK-Colombia). 24/08.A total of 23 national and international bidders expressed interest for participating in the technical, legal, administrative and financial supervision for the conceptual design contract for the first line, including the scaling as well as the technical, legal and financial scope of the project. See the list of the 23 candidates atwww.transitobogota.gov.co/admin/contenido/documentos/FirmIntervent-Mtro_17_13_34.pdf 24/08.

The Bogotá Metro Company (EMB) and the National Development Fund (FDN) signed an inter-administrative contract, to carry out a comprehensive construction project for the 16 km Line 2 of the Bogotá metro. This will connect the metro Line 1, from Calle 72 with Avenida Caracas to the Fontanar del Río sector, in the town of Suba, passing through Engativa. The contract, worth EUR16.51 million (COP72.35 bn), is an important step in the development of metro Line 2 construction in Bogota, as forecast in the 2020-2024 Development Plan. The new 16 km metro Line 2 will be underground with 11 stations. Visit  https://www.metrodebogota.gov.co. and 

https://www.fdn.com.co/sites/default/files/fdncomunicadoabril2021linea2metrobogota.pdf 15/21.  

Restricted invitation to tender, deadline 12/01/2022, for the Ruzizi III EPC (engineering, procurement, construction) Turnkey Contract -Initial Selection. The Ruzizi III Regional Hydroelectric Power Plant, will be located on the Ruzizi River, at the border between (DRC- Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Rwanda. It will be part of the Ruzizi Cascade, already equipped by Ruzizi I and Ruzizi II projects, and will be located approximately 13 km downstream of the Ruzizi II dam. The contract includes the construction of a 3.8 km long, 6.7 m diameter, concrete-lined headrace tunnel from the dam reservoir to the powerhouse. Value of the contract is EUR 436 million, excluding VAT. Duration of the contract will be56 months. Tenders must be sent to Ruzizi III Energy Ltd, attn Luciano Canale, Kigali, tel +25 0786674578, email luciano.canale@ruzizienergy.com. Contact Ruzizi III Energy Ltd, attn Lonceny Magassouba, Kigali, tel +224 622676247, email RuziziIII_EPC_InitialSelection@ruzizienergy.com. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=575634-2021. 46/21.

Rwanda-Kigali: Hydro-electric plant construction work

2021/S 220-575634

Contract notice

Works

Legal Basis:

EIB Guide to Procurement - Financed by the EIB

Section I: Contracting authority

I.1)

Name and addresses

Official name: Ruzizi III Energy Limited

Postal address: Sanlam Towers, Wing 4A, 4th Floor, KN 67 St 10

Town: Kigali

NUTS code: RW Rwanda

Postal code: 3300

Country: Rwanda

Contact person: Luciano Canale (Project Director)

E-mail: luciano.canale@ruzizienergy.com

Telephone: +25 0781553634

Internet address(es):

Main address: www.ruzizi-iii.com

I.3)

Communication

Access to the procurement documents is restricted. Further information can be obtained at:

Additional information can be obtained from another address:

Official name: Ruzizi III Energy Limited

Postal address: Cité chemin de fer, Commune de Kaloum, BP : 1463

Town: Kigali

NUTS code: RW Rwanda

Postal code: Rue KA 050

Country: Rwanda

Contact person: Loncény MAGASSOUBA

E-mail: RuziziIII_EPC_InitialSelection@ruzizienergy.com

Telephone: +224 622676247

Internet address(es):

Main address: www.ruzizi-iii.com

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted to the following address:

Official name: Ruzizi III Energy Limited

Postal address: Sanlam Towers, Wing 4A, 4th Floor, KN 67 St 10

Town: Kigali

Postal code: Rue KA 050

Country: Rwanda

Contact person: Luciano Canale

Telephone: +25 0786674578

E-mail: luciano.canale@ruzizienergy.com

NUTS code: RW Rwanda

Internet address(es):

Main address: www.ruzizi-iii.com

I.4)

Type of the contracting authority

Other type: Private company (SPV)

I.5)

Main activity

Other activity: Electricity

Section II: Object

II.1)

Scope of the procurement

II.1.1)

Title:

Ruzizi III EPC Turnkey Contract – Initial Selection

II.1.2)

Main CPV code

45251120 Hydro-electric plant construction work

II.1.3)

Type of contract

Works

II.1.4)

Short description:

The Ruzizi III Regional Hydroelectric Power Plant will be located on the Ruzizi River, at the border between DRC and Rwanda. It will be part of the Ruzizi Cascade, already equipped by Ruzizi I and Ruzizi II projects, and will be located approximately 13 km downstream of the Ruzizi II dam.

II.1.5)

Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: 436 000 000.00 EUR

II.1.6)

Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: no

II.2)

Description

II.2.3)

Place of performance

NUTS code: RW Rwanda

Main site or place of performance:

The Ruzizi III Regional Hydroelectric Power Plant will be located on the Ruzizi River, at the border between DRC and Rwanda. It will be part of the Ruzizi Cascade, already equipped by Ruzizi I and Ruz

II.2.4)

Description of the procurement:

This is the Initial Selection process for the Ruzizi III Regional Hydroelectric Power Plant EPC contract. The contract will include the engineering, procurement, construction, testing and commissioning of a 45 m height embankment dam with associated spillway, low level outlet, and eco-flow small-hydro, a 3.8 km long, 6.7 m diameter, concrete-lined headrace tunnel from the dam reservoir to the powerhouse, penstock and unit penstocks, power station and switchyard, a 7.3 km long 220 kV double-circuit transmission line connecting the Ruzizi III substation to the regional dispatch station in Kamanyola (DRC), access roads from Bugarama (Rwanda) and Kamanyola (DRC) to the dam site, and all ancillary and related works. The power station will have three generating units and an eco-flow small-hydro, giving an installed capacity of 206 MW.

II.2.5)

Award criteria

Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents

II.2.6)

Estimated value

Value excluding VAT: 436 000 000.00 EUR

II.2.7)

Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system

Duration in months: 56

This contract is subject to renewal: no

II.2.10)

Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: no

II.2.11)

Information about options

Options: no

II.2.13)

Information about European Union funds

The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: no

II.2.14)

Additional information

Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information

III.1)

Conditions for participation

III.1.2)

Economic and financial standing

Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents

III.1.3)

Technical and professional ability

Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents

Section IV: Procedure

IV.1)

Description

IV.1.1)

Type of procedure

Restricted procedure

IV.1.3)

Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system

IV.1.8)

Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: no

IV.2)

Administrative information

IV.2.2)

Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

Date: 12/01/2022

Local time: 14:00

IV.2.3)

Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates

IV.2.4)

Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted:

English, French

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.1)

Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: no

VI.3)

Additional information:

The Borrower (“the Contracting States (Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda) and Ruzizi III Energy Limited (REL)”); REL a special purpose company who is going to be owned by Industrial Promotion Services and SN Power (owned by Scatec ASA) and the Contracting States.

The Borrower has currently secured from the African Development Bank, approval for part of the funding for the 206 MW (203 MW for the main powerhouse and 3 MW for the small-hydro on the ecological flow). In addition, the Borrower is currently negotiating the remaining financing from a number of other multilateral development banks, including the World Bank (WB), European Investment Bank (EIB), Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), the French Development Agency (AFD), and the European Union (EU). This funding will be used towards the cost of developing the project, and the Borrower intends to apply part of the proceeds to payments for goods, works, and services to be procured under this project.

In this regard, Ruzizi III Energy Limited intends to initial select contractors and consortia to tender for the RIII-EPC contract. Initial Selection documents will be made available, in electronic format for free, in a dedicated electronic system. Interested applicants may request access to the electronic system by sending an email to the following address: RuziziIII_EPC_InitialSelection@ruzizienergy.com.

All queries related to the Initial Selection process should be sent via email to the following email address: RuziziIII_EPC_InitialSelection@ruzizienergy.com.

The RIII-EPC contract is planned to be tendered in Q4 2022 with work commencing in Q1 2023.

VI.4)

Procedures for review

VI.4.1)

Review body

Official name: Ruzizi III Energy Limited

Town: Kigali

Country: Rwanda

VI.5)

Date of dispatch of this notice:

09/11/2021

Competitive procedure with negotiation, deadline 19/07/2023, for the granting of a concession so that the Concessionaire carries out all the necessary activities for financing, studies, designs, construction, operation and maintenance of the 15.5km metro Line 2 in Bogotá. The new line will be partially underground, with 11 stations and it will connect  Suba and Engativa. Click here for tender documents. Value of the contract will be EUR3.88 bn (COP17.73 trillion), excluding VAT. Duration of contract 360 months. Contact Empresa Metro de Bogotà SA, attn Diego Beltran, Bogotà, tel +57 6015553333, email lprocesoseleccionL2MB@metrodebogota.gov.co. Visit https://www.metrodebogota.gov.co,  http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=366933-2023, http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=365091-2023 and http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=287024-2023. Ref.n. EIB-GtP/UTD/Por asignar. 26/23. 

Postponed from 19/07/2023 to 11/08/2023 the deadline of the competitive procedure with negotiation for the granting of a concession so that the Concessionaire carries out all the necessary activities for financing, studies, designs, construction, operation and maintenance of the 15.5km metro Line 2 in Bogotá. The new line will be partially underground, with 11 stations and it will connect  Suba and Engativa. Click here for tender documents. Value of the contract will be EUR 3.88 bn (COP17.73 trillion), excluding VAT. Duration of the contract will be 360 months. Contact Empresa Metro de Bogotà SA, attn Diego Beltran, Bogotà, tel +57 6015553333, email lprocesoseleccionL2MB@metrodebogota.gov.co. Visit https://www.metrodebogota.gov.co,  http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=423436-2023. Ref.n. EIB-GtP/UTD/Por asignar. 29/23.  

Restricted procedure, deadline 14/02/2024, to select the concessionaire who will have to design, construct, implementing the electromechanical equipment and systems, supplying the trains, financing, managing and maintaining the 15.5km metro Line 2 (L2MB) in Bogotá. The new line will connect  Suba and Engativa with 11 stations (10 underground and 1 elevated). The following 4 groups

1. APCA Metro Line 2 Bogota, composed of Mota Engil Colombia SAS (66%) and CRRC (Hong Kong) Co Limited Sucursal Colombia (34%);
2. APCA Metro Line 2 composed of China Harbor Engineering Company Limited (75%) and Xi'an Rail Transportation Group Company Limited (25%);
3. APCA - Bogotá Metro 2 composed by China Railway Construction Corporation International Investment Co. Ltd. (75%) and China Railway Construction Electrification Bureau Group Co. Ltd. (25%);
4. Unión L2 Bogotá Metro Rail composed by Sacyr Concesiones Colombia Participadas II SAS (40%), Acciona Concesiones S.L. (40%) and CAF Investment Projects S.A. (20%)

… have been pre-qualified and will now be able to submit technical and economic offers. Click here for tender documents. The value of the contract will be EUR 4.15 bn (USD4.45 bn), excluding VAT. The duration of the contract will be 360 months. Contact Empresa Metro de Bogota SA, attn Josa Leonidas Narvaez Morales, Bogota, tel +57 6015553333, email leonidas.narvaez@metrodebogota.gov.co. Visit https://www.metrodebogota.gov.co and http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=651353-2023. Ref.n. EIB-GtP/UTD/Por asignar. 44/23.   

The Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ICE) granted the new Torito hydroelectric project to Spanish corporation Unií³n Fenosa, which will generate 50 MW of power. The contract signed consists of the construction, operation for 20 years and transfer of the whole project under the BOT model, three years of which will be dedicated to construction. The Torito power project is located in the northeast of the country and will use the water of the Reventazon river after it has passed through the turbines of the Angostura power plant, belonging to ICE. This water will be channelled to the new Torito plant to be then discharged into the same river downstream the catchment. The plant will have two groups of 25 MW each. The new plant will require the construction of a 2.6 km 6.5 m-diameter tunnel. Visit www.grupoice.com and www.ufinternacional.com 39/08.

Invitation to tender, deadline 3rd April, 2008 for the geological and geotechnical study for the Los Hatillos tunnel, as part of the environmental upgrading project of metropolitan San José. Twenty-two core drillings, for a total of 765 metres, will be necessary. The geology is grey sound lava, with some interconnected, relatively dense small cavities. The mechanical condition is regular. As part of the environmental upgrading project of metropolitan San José, a 1,825 m water transfer tunnel is planned to transport waste waters from the Tiribí­ and Marí­a Aguilar sewers, situated south of the metropolitan area, to the Torres river basin where they will join the waste waters of the Rivera and Torres sewers prior to be conveyed to the Los Tajos treatment plant located near La Carpio. The tunnel's minimum cover will be 7 m at the beginning of the path and 43 m approx. halfway of it. This water tunnel will feature an internal diameter of 2.2 m and will be lined with concrete, either precast concrete segments or jacked concrete pipes. Contact Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AyA), tel. +506 2425491, fax +506 2425442. Read E-News Weekly 13/2006. Visit www.aya.go.cr/proveedor/datos_licitacion.php?id=2008LA-00008-PRI 11/08.