Marine survey services: Detailed Geophysical and Geo-technical Route Study

The EuroAsia Interconnector project links the electrical systems of Israel, Cyprus and continental Greece (via Crete) through 500KV sub-marine DC cables and HVDC onshore stations in each country/location and have a total capacity of 2 000MW. The project creates an energy bridge between the two continents with a total length of the interconnector of 1 520 km, and creates a reliable alternative corridor for transferring electricity to Europe and allow for reverse transmission of electricity.
Stage 1 of the EuroAsia Interconnector consist of a 500 kV submarine cable with a total capacity of 1 000 MW and 8 HVDC onshore stations.
The project promoter of the EuroAsia Interconnector is EuroAsia Interconnector Limited, a subsidiary of Cyprus-based Quantum Energy Limited and with the participation of Greek Public Power Corporation (PPC) S.A. The interconnector project has been included in the list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI) of the European Union, as a cluster PCI consisting of the following PCIs:
— PCI 3.10.1 — Interconnection between Hadera (IL) and Kofinou (CY).
— PCI 3.10.2 — Interconnection between Kofinou (CY) and Korakia, Crete (EL).
— PCI 3.10.3 — Internal line between Korakia, Crete(EL) and Attica region (EL) Pachi.
The project is at its final design phase prior to the commencement of construction works.
After the reconnaissance survey performed at beginning of this year, the difficult areas to be crossed have been identified. They require a higher resolution for the suitable routing and further the several in-service cables crossing the EAI route also require to be identified for finalizing the crossing agreements with the other cable systems Operators.
The Scope of the survey is to achieve a sufficient detail of the seabed features generally along the entire route, i.e. at any water depth but also a good sub bottom profiling and side scan sonar down to 700 — mwd, where the burial assessment is requested and beyond as necessary for both featuring the surface geology and to assess the sediment structure for the cable protection by burial. The difficult identified areas will require more attention in order to select the suitable acceptable routing on line.
As for burial assessment, a geo-technical campaign will be performed after the detailed geophysical survey, in order to perform soil sampling by gravity and vibro corers and cone penetrometer test (CPT) at discrete intervals and locations determined by the geophysical results of Sub bottom profiler (SBP).
Given the length for the whole survey, the extended deep water areas, the high required resolution, ROV's and possibly AUV's will need to be employed to increase the resolution of swath bathymetry (MBES); Side scan Sonar (SSS) and SBP and on board Data processing and charting shall be performed for the route design process, in connection with shore based Processing teams.
The timing constraints will probably oblige the task sharing in sequence by employing different vessels of different capabilities for the AUV and ROV and for the nearshore and shallow water and for the geo-technics, with further sharing according to the links as necessary to stay in the planned time of possibly no more than 13 months of operation at sea, depending on the variable factors as weather, number of samples and crossing inspection, etc.
It is envisaged a simultaneous operation for the nearshore survey by 2 or 3 vessels up to 50-100 mwd depending on the distance from the coast as daytime work. 1 or 2 Vessels for the Geophysical survey performed from surface and by AUV and ROV for the cable crossing identification and 1 Vessel or even 2 for the geo-technical Campaign.
The preliminary reporting will be performed on board but reworked and integrated on shore at Contractor's premises, even in different sites as the survey proceeds, according to the program that will be better developed and set up after the bidding process. It is clearly necessary a great effort to coordinate the different tasks and also the reporting in such a way that the results would be presented with the same quality, structure and effectiveness.
After the draft final report delivery for each link, this will be reviewed and the burial assessment study may be started, as well the installation engineering. Both ones of these tasks would be completed well after the delivery of the final reviewed survey reports.

The Tender process will take place in 2 stages:
a. Pre-selection stage: Invitation to all interested Economic Operators to submit Requests to Participate, so that qualified Candidates may be selected to submit a Tender. The evaluation and selection of qualified economic operators will be performed according to the process and criteria described in this Invitation.
b. Award stage: Invitation of qualified candidates to submit a Tender and take place in negotiations. Details of the Tender evaluation and negotiation processes to be provided in the Request for Proposal that will be sent to qualified economic operators along with the invitation to submit a tender.
Interested Economic Operators may submit their inquiries/comments/suggestions regarding the Tender processing writing via fax, e-mail or letter at the contact information provided in this notice, by 26.8.2016 at 12:00. The Contracting Authority shall provide written answers to any questions that will have been submitted in due time, at the above URL, by 2.9.2016. It is noted that under no circumstance may Economic Operators rely or invoke any verbal information provided by personnel of the Contracting Authority.
Every Economic Operator being interested in the conclusion of a contract with EuroAsia Interconnector Ltd shall be entitled to contest, by lodging an appeal, any enforceable act of the Contracting Authority related to the selection procedure which he considers as affecting his interests in an unlawful manner.
This appeal is exercised in accordance with the requirements of the applicable legislation for extending legal protection at the stage which precedes the conclusion of the contract.
The time limits for lodging the appeal and for subsequent recourse, if any, to provisional remedies shall entail only the restraints imposed by the law.
Every appeal, in accordance with the aforementioned, shall be against EuroAsia Interconnector Ltd and examined by a responsible Appeals Committee, who/which shall issue a justified decision thereon within the time limit provided for by the standing legislation in force from time to time that will be provided in writing to the party lodging the appeal. If such time limit elapses inactive, it shall be inferred that the appeal has been dismissed.
The Tender procedure shall be conducted in accordance with Directive 2004/17/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as applicable. By submitting their Requests to Participate, Candidates are assumed to be familiar with all relevant laws and Regulations of the Republic of Cyprus which affect, either directly or indirectly, the tender procedure. With regard to the implementation of the Contract Scope, Candidates are assumed to be familiar with all relevant laws and Regulations of the places of delivery of the Contract as specified in Section II.1.2), which affect, either directly or indirectly the implementation of the contract scope.
Contracting Authority will consider as acceptable those Requests to Participate which comply with all terms and conditions of this invitation and may also accept any Request to Participate with insignificant deviations based on its judgement and discretion. Insignificant deviations are considered to be differences that do not affect the scope of the contract's object or the quality of its execution, do not substantially restrict the rights of the Contracting Authority or the obligations of the Contractor and do not affect the principal of equal treatment of tenderers.
Any attempt by or on behalf of a Candidate to influence in any way whatsoever the judgement of the Contracting Authority or of the Opening/Evaluation Committee in the discharge of their duties in connection with the tender procedure or result, shall result in the rejection of its Request to Participate. Candidates who have obtained or taken in their possession, without legal authority and at their own initiative, information or documents of a secret nature in connection to the tender procedure, shall be excluded from participation.

Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate: 9.9.2016 - 12:00