The government and New Fortress Energy (NFE) agreed to extend for four days, until June 27, the pact for the supply of liquefied natural gas that is used for the 14 electric megagenerators located in the centrals of San Juan and Palo Seco, as long as the award of a long -term contract is completed, a process that should have concluded in or before yesterday, Monday.
The Fiscal Supervision Board (JSF), by authorizing the brief extension of the contract with Nfenergy – Subsidiaria of NFE in charge of the fuel supply -, warned the government for the delay in the culmination of the application for proposals (RFP, in English) in progress.
“We emphasize that the continuous breach with the schedules and requirement established in the policy (contract review) places at risk critical services for the people of Puerto Rico”said the agency in A letter dated June 22 aimed at Generates prwhich is formally the contracting party in the fuel supply agreement. Generates PR, in turn, is another NFE subsidiary.
JSF communication said Regulatory Complence Servicesthe external firm (3ppo, in English) recruited by the Authority for private public alliances (AAPP) to administer the tender, he notified him on June 20 “that the RFP had not been awarded.”
“The proposed amendment must allow the 3PPO to end the RFP process and submit the proposed contract resulting to the Supervision Board for review and approval in accordance with the policy (of contracts), together with all the documentation required by the policy, in or before June 23,” the JSF abounded.
At the time of this publication, the AAPP or the JSF had specified whether, in effect, the new hiring in time for Monday had been completed. A spokeswoman Energy negotiatedMeanwhile, he indicated on Tuesday that the regulator had not received any documentation associated with a new contract.
The RFP, published in April, seeks to hire one or more supply in the long term for the plants that already use natural gas or those where conversions could be materialized to this fuel, including the San Juan, Seco Palo (Toa Baja), Cambalache (Arecibo), Mayagüez and Aguirre (Salinas). In past days, The new day He reported that NFE was the only bidder which presented an offer for all plants at stake, while Crowley –What a week ago announced the arrival of the first American construction gas tanker dedicated to Puerto Rico– He submitted a proposal to replace the Mayagüez Station.
The NFE contract that was extended until Friday was granted in 2024 and contemplates the supply of portable units installed in the Palo Seco and San Juan centrals. If natural gas is not available, the units can also work with diesel, a more expensive fuel.
NFE also maintains a contract since 2021 for the fuel supply used in the combined cycle units of San Juan, where the company also controls – until 2038 – the terminal where natural gas is received.
Last week, the Energy Tsar and executive director of the AAPP, Josué Colónhe pointed out that, despite the competitive process aimed at granting supply contracts to five or 10 years, the control that NFE exercises on the terminal at the San Juan dock limits the government options.
“The reality that this administration has is that previous administrations granted an exclusivity contract in the Northern Terminal, located next to the San Juan Central. It is a reality that this administration has to handle. Therefore, (the criterion) is beyond simply if New Fortress has or not the capacity, (but) that the current contracts limit to a large extent the possibilities or alternatives we have,” said Columbus Financial of the Gasífera –which recently recognized a loss of $ 197 million In the first quarter of the year and faces the pressure of its creditors – it would enter into the analysis of government entities with jurisdiction on hiring.
