The tender was published despite a decision to freeze all new tender contracts.
Sources inform ''Globes'' that Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) last week published a tender for the construction of a new natural gas-driven power station in Haifa, despite a decision to freeze all new tender contracts. The tender is for civil engineering work for the power station.
IEC declined to comment about the size of the tender, but electricity industry sources estimate it at NIS 100 million.
An IEC spokesman said in response that the decision to freeze tenders was unrelated to work on the development of Israel's electricity market, and that the company was continuing its activity to prevent possible power shortages. The construction of another power station at Haifa is part of IEC's emergency plan to meet the electricity shortage anticipated in 2009-10.
As part of the plan, which the government has approved, IEC decided to speed up procedures for the construction of two power stations at Haifa, which will add 400 megawatts to the company's power production capacity.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on November 12, 2007
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2007