LEC, Engineering Group sign Contract #5

The Liberia Electricity Corporation or LEC, Joint Venture of Pan African Engineering Group, Sigma Group Inc., and Mamba Point Hotel have signed an agreement in Monrovia for Contract # 5 of the Mount Coffee Hydropower Rehabilitation Project.

A press release issued by the LEC, says Contract # 5 is for camp construction works and provision of camp services.

Pan African Engineering Group is reportedly a wholly Liberian-owned and registered architectural and engineering consulting firm, while Sigma Group is a Liberia-based construction and construction materials manufacturing firm, while Mamba Point Hotel is a Liberia-based hospitality, food and catering company.

The release also indicated that Contract#5 include construction of camp accommodation and office facilities for workers of the Mount Coffee Hydropower Project, with all corresponding infrastructure; provision of the camp services such as site security, power, water, wastewater, catering, housekeeping, communication and waste disposal, including maintenance of the existing structures, which will focus on maintenance of access to roads to the site and camp; and some geotechnical and early civil works in preparation for the Main Civil Works Contractor.

The release said PSM-JV was awarded the contract following an international competitive bidding process. “The procurement process included an initial qualification of bidders, a process which selects the best potential contractors based on demonstrated technical experience, financial capacity and qualified personnel. The qualified bidders are then invited to submit full technical and financial proposals. Based on criteria included in the bidding documents, PSM-JV’s proposal was judged to be the most responsive and of best value to the project.”

Work is expected to begin next month, May 2015, in preparation for the mobilization or re-mobilization of project contractors, beginning June.

The launch of Contract # 5 has been part of the critical path for the Mount Coffee Project, which when procurement is finalized, will be made up of six(6) major construction contracts that are interdependent and require careful synchronization by the Owner’s Engineer and Mount Coffee PIU to maintain the project’s fast-track schedule.

“LEC is pleased that the contract has been signed as it represents an important step in maintaining the post-Ebola schedule for the project”, the release detailed.

“Off-site work under existing contracts has proceeded according to schedule, with manufacture of 80% of the generating equipment for the three turbines having been completed by Voith, and good progress in manufacturing of the hydraulic steelworks equipment underway by Andritz. Designing and engineering work by NCC (substations) is on schedule.”

By Lewis S. Teh