ABOUT 25 bidders may be shortlisted from the 54 that submitted bids for the 11 distribution companies unbundled from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
The announcement would follow the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) meeting today to ratify the report of evaluation of the technical bids.
Among the bidders are OANDO Consortium; Vigeo Power Consortium; Rockson Engineering Company Limited; Gumco; Skipper Nigeria Limited; Interstate Electrics Limited; Southern Electricity Distribution Company and Eastern Electric Nigeria Limited.
Others are Integrated Energy Distribution & Marketing Limited. Also included are SEPCO-Pacific Energy Consortium; Electric Utilities Nigeria; Honeywell Energy Resources International Limited; Western Consortium; Vigeo Holdings, African Corporation AFC & CESC Consortium; Masters Energy Oil & Gas Limited; and 4Power Consortium.
The 25 bidders are those who scaled the requirements and standards set for the evaluation of technical bids, which was concluded last week.
After the ratification, the NCP, which is chaired by the Vice President, Namadi Sambo, would announce the successful bidders at the presidential villa, Abuja.
According to the privatisation timeline from the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), the deadline for the shortlisted bidders for generation companies to submit their letters of credit was September 18, 2012 while October 2, 2012 is the deadline for shortlisted bidders for distribution companies.
Consequent upon NCP’s approval of evaluation of technical bids, the BPE will open the financial bids of the shortlisted investors. The BPE had said that it will on September 25, 2012 open the financial bids of prospective investors for the generating companies while October 10, 2012 is the date for the opening of the financial bids for the distribution companies.
The announcement of the preferred bidders for the generating companies is October 9, 2012 while October 23, 2012 is the date for the announcement of the preferred bidders for the distribution companies, according to the agency added.
The 11 distribution companies (Discos) up for sale include Abuja Electricity Distribution Company Plc, Benin Electricity Distribution Company Plc, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company Plc, Eko Electricity Distribution Company Plc, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company Plc, Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company Plc, Jos Electricity Distribution Company Plc, Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company Plc, Kano Electricity Distribution Company Plc Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company Plc, and Yola Electricity Distribution Company Plc.
The bidders for the power distribution assets include local and international companies, while some are partnerships between local and foreign firms. Some companies are privately owned while some are floated by state governments or in partnership with state governments.
The BPE had also noted that the prospective core investors, who must be local and/or international power distributors or investors with power distributors as technical partners, will be responsible for operating the distribution companies, making the necessary investments to improve the distribution network and customer service in line with the objectives of the Federal Government.
Source:Nation