Hydro construction companies have been invited to submit tenders for construction of SSE Renewables’ proposed 1500MW pumped hydro storage scheme at Coire Glas, in Scotland.
Coire Glas, on the shores of Loch Lochy near Invergarry, would be the first large-scale pumped hydro storage scheme to be built in the United Kingdom for more than 30 years.
The Invitation to Tender (ITT) for the main construction works has attracted global interest.
Six shortlisted bidders, who were selected following an extensive supply chain engagement process in 2021, will submit their first bids in April 2022.
Commencement of the ITT process, which will continue until winter 2023, enables SSE Renewables to plan engagement with businesses across the Lochaber and Highland regions to highlight the local supply chain opportunities the project will bring.
The construction phase of the project is scheduled to commence in spring 2024 and, is expected to support up to 500 jobs.
The tendering process will consist of two stages ahead of a final decision on whether to proceed with construction of the scheme in late 2023.
The return of tenders in April will complete the first stage.
At this point one tenderer will be selected for the mechanical and electrical plant scope and two tenderers for the civil engineering scope.
The selected tenderers will then progress to stage two, which is planned to run from July 2022 until autumn 2023, during which time extensive ground investigation works will be undertaken across the site.
This work will enable the tenderers to refine their project designs.
The selection of the preferred civils tenderer, who will work with the chosen mechanical and electrical tenderer to construct Coire Glas on a turnkey basis, is scheduled for autumn 2023.
The six tenderers shortlisted for the main construction works, for the civil engineering scope, are: the Bechtel, Acciona Construcción and Webuild S.p.A consortium, the BAM Nuttall, Eiffage Génie Civil and Marti Tunnel consortium, the Dragados and BeMo Tunnelling UK consortium and STRABAG UK.
For the mechanical and electrical plant scope the tenderers are the ANDRITZ HYDRO and Voith Hydro partnership and GE Hydro France.