Convento Viejo dam concession draws 1 offer

The Belfi-Besalco-Brotec consortium submitted the only offer Friday to Chile's public works ministry for the US$120mn Convento Viejo dam concession, the ministry announced. The contract entails expanding the current dam's capacity to 237M cu. m. from 27M cu. m., plus building a supply channel system. The dam is 15km south of Chimbarongo, on the river of the same name in Region VI. The group's economic offer will be opened December 10, with the aim of awarding the contract in March and starting construction mid-2005. "The project corresponds to the second largest dam in Chile and the largest built in the last 40 years," public works under-secretary Clemente Pérez said. The plan is to increase the dam's height to 32m from 15m. The total area of land that will benefit will double to 40,000ha.