One of the three bidders for the civil works of the 900MW Purulia pumped storage project in India has gone to court fearing that it may get shut out of the final bid evaluation. The project is being implemented by the West Bengal State Electricity Board (WBSEB) with financial assistance from the OECF of Japan.
The German company, Dikerhoff, has submitted a bid for the civil works as the leaders of a consortium of four companies which included Patel Engineering of Mumbai, Dragados of Spain and Schimitsu of Japan. The other companies which made the short list were Taisei of Japan and Skanska of Sweden.
The tender opening indicated that Dikerhoff was the second lowest bidder after Taisei with a price difference of nearly US$30M. However, reports say that the low bid by Taisei is a conditional offer, while the offer by Dikerhoff has no conditions attached.
The tenders were evaluated jointly by WAPCOS of India and by EPDC of Japan, the consultant appointed by WBSEB.