The planned closed-loop project, which is to be fully or partially financed with EU Funds, is currently designed with an installed capacity in turbine mode of 100 MW and 130 MW in pumping mode, and a storage capacity of 900 MWh. Detailed studies will begin between 2026 and 2027, with a final decision expected in 2027. In the event of validation, commissioning is envisaged by 2032, for an operating period of more than 60 years.
The tender procedure will be two-phase. Selected bidders will initially be contracted on the basis of Early Contractor Involvement (ECI), followed in a second phase in the possibility of contractualization of a binding offer for the realization of the project on the basis of an EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contract. Phase 1, within the framework of an ECI contract, will include the realization of a detailed preliminary design, determination of the methods and planning of the project implementation on the basis of the design studies, an analysis of the project risks and how the risks are to be shared between the project stakeholders; determination, refinement and confirmation of the cost of the EPC contract and the contractual conditions, and drafting of technical and functional specifications of the future EPC contract. Ultimately, the ECI process involves preparing and submitting a binding offer for the project (cost, quality, deadlines) based on an EPC-type implementation contract.
At the end of the ECI phase, and subject to the decision of the project manager, an EPC contract for the design and implementation of the Tontouta pumped-storage project (STEP de Tontouta) based on a fixed, all-inclusive price may be attributed to one of the candidates who participated in the ECI phase. The project would cover the construction, testing and commissioning of the entire installation, comprising an upper reservoir at a mine nearing the end of its operational life, water intake, and connection to the high-pressure hydraulic circuit; a lower reservoir, water intake, and connection to the low-pressure hydraulic circuit; a penstock approximately 2.5 km long; a surface powerhouse comprising separate generation units and pumps, connected to the high-voltage network via a new substation (not included in the contract). Phase 1 – Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) works will be executed mainly from the offices of the awardee, and will include missions on the project site (Tontouta, New Caledonia) and meetings at the site of the project manager (EDF – Centre d’Ingénierie Hydraulique) located in La Motte Servolex in France. The EPC contract will be executed at the project site. Phase 1 is scheduled to begin on 1 October 2026 and to take 12 months. Phase 2 is estimated to take 48 months.
The details of the tender are defined in the reference document of the expressions of interest and the ECI consultation rules which are available to applicants upon request at the below email address. Candidates will be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement before the delivery of the said document. For the details of the conditions for awarding the EPC contract, refer to the rules of the ECI phase.
Candidates are invited to submit their application via EDF’s procurement portal at https://pha2.edf.com – Request for Information NOTICE NO. AVIS024694, as identified in Article 2.1 Procedure – Internal Identifier (c8864cd3-a47a-49e3-9424-e0c44f47fe1e), and attach the required documents. Interested candidates who have not yet registered can self-register from the portal’s homepage. Applications cannot be submitted by email. Bids should be submitted in French. The full procurement notice can be viewed on the EU’s procurement platform at https://ted.europa.eu/en/notice/-/detail/299334-2026
Fo further information, contact: Centre d’Ingénierie Hydraulique EDF, on behalf of La Société Néo-Calédonienne d’Énergie (ENERCAL); E-mail: hydro-cih-bal-step-tontouta@edf.fr; Tel.: +33 (0)6 37230387.
Internet address: https://www.enercal.nc/; Buyer profile: https://pha2.edf.com.
