Orihueala Council has awarded a contract for the provision of natural gas for €16,940 to ensure heating and hot water while the final multi-year deal is being completed.
Orihuela City Council has approved an emergency contract to ensure the availability of natural gas for heating and domestic hot water in municipally administered schools. This interim approach is meant to address the continued shortage of these services, which some schools have been suffering for several months.
Gas Natural Comercializadora S.A. has been awarded the contract, which is based on a framework agreement with the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces. It has a maximum yearly budget of €16,940 including VAT (€14,000 plus €2,940 VAT) and will last one year, with the option to extend for another year.
The decision follows protests from the education community, with municipal sources stating that some schools have been without heat for up to 120 days, leading the Council to seek an immediate solution until a more complete contract is finalised.
According to the Education Department, the contract is a temporary solution for meeting the energy requirements of local school facilities. The contract documentation states that it is tied to the FEMP framework agreement for natural gas delivery, with an estimated value of €28,000 for the initial duration and potential extension.
The Council recognises that this arrangement serves as a “patch” while the definitive multi-year contract is being completed, which should secure the service on a consistent basis in future years.
Endesa Energía and Gas Natural Comercializadora both submitted proposals during the competition. The latter was deemed the most economically advantageous. According to the municipal technical assessment, Naturgy’s rates vary between €0.052 and €0.054 per kWh, compared to Endesa’s €0.063 to €0.066 per kWh, resulting in a potential savings of over 25%.
The contract is being formalised as an urgent measure to ensure energy supply in municipal schools at a time when the council wishes to avoid long periods without heating throughout the winter.
This action is part of a municipal policy similar to other operations underway in the region, in which authorities use interim contracts while larger structural projects are created.
With this temporary contract in place, Orihuela hopes to handle one of the most critical challenges facing the education community in the coming months, pending the arrival of the definitive multi-year contract that will offer stability to the service.
Author: Derek Appleton
Other Articles
No Comment! Be the first one.