The General Procurement Entity (GPE) has announced the shortlisting of four companies that submitted bids in response to its request for proposals (RFP) for 100 megawatts (MW) of electricity from renewable energy.

Based on the RFP, the company that wins the bid will supply electricity to the national grid on a build own and operate (BOO) basis.

GPE received a total of 12 proposals, all solar, for nearly 400MW from nine companies.

Wigton Wind Farm Limited and SunTerra Energy Jamaica Limited are the pre-awarded bids shortlisted, while the non-pre-awarded bids shortlisted are Jamaica Energy Partners and InterEnergy Renewables SL and Blue Mahoe Energy Company Limited.

This means that if the pre-awarded bids fall through, the non-pre-awarded bids will take their place.

The next stage is the opening of technical proposals of the pre-awarded bids, followed by the announcement of successful bidders. The winning company will then obtain the generation licence and negotiate and execute the 20-year power purchase agreement PPA.

A PPA may be renewed for up to six more years, subject to approval from the Office of Utilities Regulation.

In a Jamaica Stock Exchange disclosure, Wigton shared that its “bid for the supply of 49.83MW was one (1) of two (2) bids which was successful in the economic evaluation phase of the tender process, and which will now proceed to the technical evaluation phase prior to the final award being made to the successful bidders by the GPE.

GPE has been consulting the InterAmerican Development Bank and other multilateral development partners during the bidding process.

In January this year, the entity responsible for securing investments in energy generation announced that it would extend the period for both international and local companies to submit their applications.