Projects
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
Consulting Services for: Preparation of Emergency Preparedness
Plan for Vakhsh Cascade
Republic of Tajikistan
Nurek Hydropower Rehabilitation Project Phase 1
OSHC “Barqi Tojik”
Consulting Services
Contract reference: TJ NHPP CS 17
At the request of the Government of Tajikistan (GoRT), the World Bank has agreed to finance preparation of an Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP) for the Vakhsh Cascade in Tajikistan under the Nurek Hydropower Rehabilitation Project.
The electricity supply mix of Tajikistan is dominated by hydropower. The total installed generation capacity is currently 6,100 MW, and hydropower plants account for about 88 percent. The 3,000 MW Nurek HPP, with a seasonal reservoir, is the largest generating plant, although the under-construction Rogun HPP will eventually have an installed capacity of 3,600 MW. Nurek currently generates about 50 percent of the total annual energy requirements and is also the balancing plant in the system. The generation from the hydropower plants reduces significantly in winter due to reduced river flows.
The thermal power plants are primarily operated in winter to supply electricity and heat. 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 about 50 MW of capacity, from 200 MW, at Dushanbe-1 CHP.
The main rivers in Tajikistan are classified as transboundary, because they cross the boundaries of two countries (Vakhsh, Pyanj, Kofarnihon and Zeravshan rivers) or four countries (Amu Darya, Syr Darya). During the Soviet period, water resources were shared among the five Central Asia republics based on master plans for water resources development in the Amu Darya and Syr Darya river basins.
The six-hydropower plants along the Vakhsh River represent the predominant energy production facilities in Tajikistan. The two upstream plants comprise two of the highest dams in the World: the under-construction Rogun Dam (335 m) and the Nurek Dam (300 m) constructed in the 1970s. The two reservoirs have large storage capacities (13.3 bcm and 10.5 bcm respectively). An emergency at either of these plants that results in a sudden uncontrolled release of large volumes of water could have serious adverse consequences on downstream habitations and infrastructure, including the downstream hydropower plants. Such events could result in large-scale loss of life and serious economic and environmental impacts. The impacts could extend into the territories of the downstream riparian countries (Afghanistan and Uzbekistan).
Emergency preparedness is an essential element for ensuring both the safety of dams and that of downstream communities. The EPP specifies a predetermined plan of action that a dam owner should implement if a dam safety emergency develops. The EPP will comply with applicable Tajik regulations, the relevant requirement given in the World Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework (ESF), and the World Bank’s Operational Policy OP4.37 on Safety of Dams. Even the releases from extreme design floods at Rogun and Nurek could cause significant downstream impacts that need to be analyzed and appropriately incorporated in the EPP.
Vakhsh Cascade
The Vakhsh Cascade consist of the following one power plant under-construction – Rogun and five existing power plants: Nurek, Baipaza, Sangtuda-1, Sangtuda-2 and Sarband (also known as Golovnaya HPP), all located on the Vakhsh river, listed from upstream to downstream.
In addition, there are two power plants on the Main Vakhsh Canal: Sharshara (also known as Perepadnaya HPP) and Markazi (also known as Centralnaya HPP). This canal offtakes from the tailrace of Sarband HPP and returns to the Vakhsh river bed before its confluence with the Pyanj river.
Study Objectives and Scope of Services
The Consultant is to prepare a full-fledged Emergency Preparedness Plan for the Vakhsh Cascade in compliance with applicable legal and administrative provisions of Tajikistan and meeting the guidelines and recommendations of the World Bank. The Plan will be based on topographic data of the required accuracy, estimation of releases for different emergency and extreme design flood scenarios, and simulation of downstream inundation levels.
The EPP shall provide clear and concise guidance on emergency actions: i) how to identify an emergency (as early as possible), ii) how to classify the emergency, and iii) how to respond to the emergency.
The Consultant is to prepare and present to the Client an EPP that will provide adequate information to the Client to enable it to mitigate potential emergencies and, if an emergency occurs, to take pre-determined appropriate and timely action to mitigate the impacts of the emergency.
The work to be carried out within this study is divided into several Tasks, each with specific activities and deliverables
Task 1: Information Gathering and Inception Report
Task 2: Risk Assessment
Task 3: Methodology, Scenarios and Assumptions
Task 4: Emergency Preparedness Plan
Task 5: Note for Downstream Riparian Countries
The detailed TOR can be found at the following website: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lx-dEFShKTiWGL8qE3bVumWb4D9gKshr/view?usp=sharing
The OSHC “Barqi Tojik”, a national integrated power company of Tajikistan, 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 Emergency Preparedness Plan for Vakhsh Cascade.
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 EPP, specific experience in similar projects covering the above scope of services, availability of quality assurance systems 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 April 5, 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
