Sources inform ''Globes'' that Mekorot National Water Company subsidiary Mekorot Development and Enterprises Ltd. has asked the bidders in the Ashdod desalination plant tender to improve their offers. The bidders have until today to make a final offer in the NIS 1.5-2 billion tender.
Mekorot is seeking the best and final offer among the bidders.
The sources added that the final pricing auction will probably be between the consortium of Minrav Holdings Ltd. (TASE: MNRV) and Spain's Valoriza Agua SL, and the consortium of Shikun u'Binui Holdings Ltd. (TASE: SKBN), Global Environmental Solutions Ltd. (GES), and Shafir Civil and Marine Engineering Ltd..
It is not yet clear if Delek Group Ltd. (TASE: DLEKG) and Israel Chemicals Ltd. (TASE: ICL) joint venture IDE Technologies Ltd., which submitted a last-minute bid, will make the final cut. Mekorot has not yet asked IDE to submit an improved bid, implying that the Minrav and Shikun u'Binui- led consortia are the finalists.
IDE's last minute bid in the tender was made without its planned international partner Hutchison Water Ltd., which quit the tender after deeming that its terms were not good enough.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on November 17, 2009
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