A preferred bidder to build and operate South Africa's first privately owned power generation plants was announced on Monday.

Minerals and Energy Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica announced that the AES consortium was the preferred bidder to build and operate plants in Port Elizabeth and Durban.

The two plants were expected to generate almost 1000 megawatts of electricity when completed at the end of 2009.

The power generators would be sold to Eskom.

AES was expected to start building at the end of 2007, once the contract with the company was finalised.

Sapa

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