Projects
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
Consulting Services for: Feasibility Study
for New Tajikistan-Afghanistan High Voltage Interconnection line
Republic of Tajikistan
Nurek Hydropower Rehabilitation Project Phase 1
OSHC “Barqi Tojik”
Consulting Services
Contract reference: TJ NHPP CS 11
The World Bank has agreed to provide financing under the Nurek Hydropower Rehabilitation Project to Barqi Tojik to carry out the necessary techno-economic studies and assessments for new Tajikistan-Afghanistan high voltage interconnection line project.
The total installed generation capacity of Tajikistan is 6,418.08 MW and HPPs account for 88%. The 3,000 MW Nurek HPP, with a seasonal reservoir, is the largest generating plant. It generates 50% of the total annual energy requirements and is also the balancing plant in the system. It should be noted that available operational capacity is lower considering that several HPPs and some of the CHPs, such as Dushanbe-1 and Yavan, have technical issues.
The thermal power plants are primarily operated in winter to supply electricity and heat given: (a) high winter electricity demand, which accounts for 60% of annual demand; and (b) limited generation by HPPs due to reduced water flows in winter. The bulk of thermal energy-based generation comes from the new 400 MW coal-fired Dushanbe-2 combined heat and power plant (CHP), which was completed in 2017. BT also operates the 200 MW Dushanbe-1 CHP plant operated on imported natural gas. Tajikistan has surplus energy from its hydropower system, which it is currently exporting and can be expanded further.
Electricity exports from Tajikistan increased from 1,350 GWh to 2,875 GWh in 2019 due to resumption of exports to Uzbekistan. The electricity exports are expected to increase further after: (a) recover synchronization of Tajik electricity network with Central Asian Power System (CAPS) in 2022, which would allow to supply electricity to all countries of Central Asia, and (b) commissioning of 1,300 MW Central Asia South Asia (CASA-1000) Interconnection in 2022.
The electricity demand at generation level in Afghanistan, including unserved demand, was estimated at about 9,000 GWh, and is expected to grow by an average annual rate of 5.7%. However, the existing electricity generation capacity and is sufficient to meet about 60% of demand and there is reliance on imports and unserved energy. Afghanistan has a population of about 28 million. The per-capita annual electricity consumption is about 195 kWh, which is amongst the lowest in the world. Only 28% of the household are connected to the power supply systems, the vast majority of whom live in urban centres.
Installed capacity of Afghanistan power system is about 1,500 MW. There are 12 hydropower plants (HPP) in about 5,000 off-grid small and micro hydropower plants under National Solidarity Program. The two largest among those are 100 MW Naghlu HPP and 66 MW Mahipar Hydropower Plant. A new 42 MW hydro at Salma in Herat province was commissioned in June 2016, and works are underway for construction additional 18 MW of capacity at the Kajaki HPP in the south. There are 9 thermal plants connected to the network with a total installed capacity of about 209 MW. Another 8 small thermal plants with an aggregate capacity of 12 MW operate off grid. All of the thermal capacity is diesel fired. The electricity supply mix also includes imports from Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Iran considering that local generation capacity is not sufficient.
The Governments of Tajikistan and Afghanistan are exploring options for increasing the power flows between the countries and therefore Barqi Tojik is commissioning a feasibility study for new 500 kV power transmission line between the two countries.
The objectives of the Study are to:
· Carry out the technical feasibility and economic viability of the Project in the context of the existing situation, environmental and social constraints, and planned power sector generation and transmission expansion in each country.
· Assess and recommend adequate organizational, institutional, commercial, and operational frameworks for the financing, construction, ownership and operation of the Project.
Scope of Work
· Estimation of Power Flows to Determine Optimal Interconnection Capacity
· Technical Definition of the Project
· Evaluation of Project Construction Costs and Economic Analysis of the Project
· Financial Analysis of the Project
· Financial Analysis of Energy Companies and Evaluation of Financing Options of the Project
· Development of Implementation Plan, Procurement Strategy, and Preparation of Bidding Documents
The detailed TOR can be found at the following website: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fkfdp15BRN7qJp2bin_vtmouY345keP2?usp=sharing
The OSHC “Barqi Tojik”, now invites eligible qualified consultants to express their interest in participating and submitting the Expression of Interest (EoI) to provide consulting services to Barqi Tojik in the preparation of Feasibility Study for New Tajikistan-Afghanistan High Voltage Interconnection Project.
Eligible Interested Consultants must provide information indicating that they are qualified to participate in providing the services above (brochures, description of similar assignments, description of experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills amongst staff).
The Consultants are invited to focus on the description of their core business and years in business; Specific Experience similar to the assignment described above, their qualifications in the field of the assignment; the technical and managerial organization of their firm; the general qualifications and number of key staff; absence of conflicts of interest and existence of quality system.
The shortlisting criteria are:
· general experience in preparation of feasibility studies for high voltage interconnection lines,
· specific experience in similar projects covering the above scope of services, and
· period the firm has been in business (not less than ten years).
Consulting company will be selected in accordance with the Quality Cost Based Selection (QCBS) procedures set out in the Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers (4th edition, November 2020) (“Procurement Regulations”), which can be found at the following website: http://pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/178331533065871195/Procurement-Regulations.pdf
The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraphs Section III. Paragraphs 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations, setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest and eligibility. Consultants may associate with other consulting firms in the form of a joint venture or a sub-consultancy to enhance their qualifications. All the members of the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire assignment.
Consultants may submit their EoI as an individual firm or in association in the form of a subconsultancy. However, the experience of sub-consultant will not be considered while short-listing.
Further information can be obtained via e-mail given below.
Expressions of interest must be prepared in English and Russian languages and delivered in their soft form to the email address below, or by fax by 17:00 of Dushanbe local time on May 21, 2021.
Mr. Habibov Ubaidullo
Head of Project Realization Group
Energy Loss Reduction
OSHC “Barqi Tojik”
64, Somoni Street, Room 302,
Dushanbe 734026, Republic of Tajikistan
Fax: (+992-37) 235-87-64
E-mail: elrpbt@gmail.com
