Selection of gas supplier

With reference to the article that appeared in Times of Malta (Big Names Put In Gas Plant Bids, May 11), the Ministry of Energy and Water Conservation would like to rectify an incorrect point of information conveyed in the last paragraph.

The article states that “the winning bid will be chosen on the basis of this call for expressions of interest rather than a fully fledged tendering process…”.

The winning bidder will be chosen after a two-stage process, and not after the call for expression of interest stage as stated.

The initial EoIC stage is intended to assist Enemalta determine which candidates have the technical and financial capability to make their bid.

Furthermore, the EoIC evaluation process will limit itself to selecting candidates capable of performing the obligations related to the supply of electricity and gas, and will base itself on the objective criteria laid down in the EoIC document.

The EoIC is, in effect, a pre-qualification stage.

Once the bidders are shortlisted during the initial pre-qualification stage, a full Request for Proposals will be issued to the qualifying candidates, which represents the second stage of the selection process.

Only after an evaluation, adjudication, and negotiation of the submissions at a request for proposals stage will the power purchasing agreement and gas supply agreement be awarded to the bidder that best satisfies the criteria.