The deadline for submitting bids has been extended from August 4 to September 8, at the request of most suppliers, both international and local. No decision has been made for the moment.
Following guidelines in effect, this is a limited request for proposals for which all bidders were made aware of the procedure at the same time. It is therefore false to say that the deadline was extended to encourage a company outside of Québec. In this sort of situation, Hydro-Québec has accepted the request of suppliers to allow them to prepare the best proposal at the best possible price. All of our customers will benefit from this procedure.
Cables are indispensable in ensuring electricity supply for our customers. Through this request for proposals, Hydro-Québec wants to make sure it has the materials required for its numerous ongoing and future projects. The company must also plan the supply in case of failures or breaks on the power system.
A changing environment
The market for supplying cables has changed significantly in recent years. From 2009 to 2014, the Québec cable and conductor market has gone from having four suppliers with five plants to a single supplier General Cable with two plants Saint-Jérôme and Shawinigan.
In 2014, Hydro-Québec’s overall purchases of goods and services reached $3.3 billion, 94 of which were from Québec-based companies.