BUENOS AIRES--Five international consortia have submitted bids
for the 24.3 billion peso ($4.9 billion) construction of two dams
in the Argentine province of Santa Cruz, the South American
country's planning ministry said Wednesday.
The government did not say when the contract would be awarded,
but the contractors have until Feb. 21 to show that they have
secured financing for up to half of the construction cost.
Bidders for the project included China Gezhouba Group Corp.
(600068.SH) in tandem with Argentina's Electroingenieria SA;
Brazil's Odebrecht SA together with Argentina's Industrias
Metalurgicas Pescarmona SA, or Impsa; Brazil's OAS SA with Hyundai
Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd (000720.SE) and Argentina's
Sociedad Comercial del Plata (COME.BA); Argentina's Helport SA from
the Eurnekian family group together with Spain's Isolux Corsan; and
China's Sinohydro Corp. in tandem with Argentina's IECSA SA,
Planning Minister Julio de Vido said Wednesday.
Companies bidding on the project must have a local partner with
at least a 30% stake.
The government says the two dams will have the capacity to
generate 5,000 gigawatt hours per year following a five-year
construction period.
The dam projects, first announced in 2008, will be named after
two former Santa Cruz governors, including Argentine President
Cristina Kirchner's late husband and predecessor in office, Nestor
Kirchner.
Write to Shane Romig at shane.romig@dowjones.com
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