5 August 2016 12:00 am
One of the most important tenders of Ceylon Shipping Corporation Ltd (CSC), the national carrier of Sri Lanka, has been advertised for international and local bidding. This invites bids for the provision of lightering services for conveyance of coal from the anchorage of the port of Puttalam to the Jetty at Lakvijaya power station operated by coal fired means. The present tender is for the period from mid-September 2016 to mid-May 2017.
The total volume of coal to be lightered under the scheduled contract ranges around 2,200,000 MT +/- 20 percent. This operation is restricted between September and May each year due to monsoonal sea conditions that exist in that part of the coastal waters. This service includes on board stevedoring from mother vessels to self-propelled barges and cleaning of holds of mother vessels as well. The newly built and delivered CSC vessels, Mv Ceylon Breeze and Mv Ceylon Princess will be deployed to carry the coal quantities along with other chartered vessels of CSC up to the outer anchorage, from which the coal will then be lightered.
CSC was engaged in this process ever since the commissioning of the said power plant having been awarded the task of carrying the required coal for the country’s energy supply by Lanka Coal Company (LCC) that operates as the procurement entity for Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). CSC’s contribution towards the nation has helped save a huge amount of foreign currency within the country while giving competitive advantage of sea transportation cost to the Ceylon Electricity Board on Free-on-Board (FOB) basis.
In this annual period of the contract, CSC ensures the carriage of the required quantity of coal from LCC designated ports of loading in over 35 voyages by the said mother vessels to the outer anchorage in Puttalam.
While facilitating the transportation of coal, CSC contributes heavily for the maritime training sector in Sri Lanka by employing sea Cadets on-board its own vessels as well as in the said chartered vessels operated presently by PCL under a separate contract. This would ensure the receiving of more foreign currency through Sri Lanka’s maritime professionals who would serve in foreign vessels in the future. By now, over 40 such sea training opportunities have been provided to country’s youth with an estimated 100 training berths are on offer during the forthcoming season.
The annual tendering of lightering provisions would create a competitive market among the key players in the industry while CSC has also been mandated by the Government of Sri Lanka to seek for a private partner to conduct this operation on a public-private partnership (PPP), of which the initial feasibility study is been conducted.
The particular tender was published in leading newspapers last weekend and is also available in its website www.cscl.lk for downloading. The successful bidder will be selected by a Standing Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee after receiving bids and evaluating them under the Procurement Guidelines of the General Treasury. The closing date of the bids will be August 22, 2016.