The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) Ltd, owners of the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP) yesterday officially announced the closure of submission of bids for the sale of 10 power plants in its kitty.

Managing Director of the company, Mr. James Olotu told newsmen that 110 bids were received. The bids would subsequently be analyzed and pre-qualified working in conjunction with the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).

Olotu said "the advert provided two submission points; the BPE and the NDPHC Ltd. At the expiration of the deadline yesterday, 106 bids were submitted at NDPHC while four were submitted at BPE."

At 5pm yesterday when submission closed, the NDPHC stopped accepting bids. Weekly Trust learnt that some companies denied entry into the company's Maitama office after 5pm.

Olotu who jointly addressed the press alongside the BPE Director General, Mr. Benjamin Dikki said the qualified bidders would subsequently be announced after they are analyzed based on established criteria.

The entire transaction is expected to be concluded by January, 2014 when the preferred bidders would be announced, but the final handing over would be done much later when the financial commitments and legal requirements would have been complied with, Olotu explained.

Mr. Dikki said some of the bidders expressed interest in more than one plant. "Opening of these submissions will commence next Monday," he said.

The NDPHC boss further explained that five of the ten plants are 96 percent completed, four; 90 percent and one; 80 percent completed.

The 10 power plants include; Calabar -561MW, Egbema -338MW, Ihovbor -450MW

Gbarain - 225MW, Sapele - 450MW, Omoku - 250MW, Alaoji - 1,074MW and Olorunsogo II - 750MW. Others are Omotosho II -500MW and Geregu II -434MW.