Feasibility study for concentrated dispatchable solar, wind and photo-voltaic power plants with storage in Botswana

COUNTRY: Botswana

NAME OF PROJECT: Southern African Power Pool Program for Accelerating Transformational Energy

Projects Grant No.: TF-A4772

Assignment Title: Feasibility study for concentrated dispatchable solar, wind and photo-voltaic power plants with storage in Botswana.

The World Bank is preparing a Program with the Southern Africa Power Pool (SAPP) to help accelerate preparation of priority regional power generation and transmission projects in the region of the Southern African Power Pool. The Program Development Objective is “to facilitate the preparation of priority regional energy projects in the Southern African Power Pool region”.

Objectives of consultancy assignment

The Government of Botswana is considering harnessing its exceptional and abundant renewable energy resources to develop in a timely manner solar and wind projects aligned with the IRP and meeting the up to date needs of the Utility (Botswana Power Corporation).

In this context, the Projects and Energy Development Unit (the ‘Client’ or ‘PEDU’) through the present terms of reference (ToR) wishes to hire a technical consultant (the ‘Consultant’ or the ‘Technical Advisor’) with the following objectives:

• To assess the feasibility of developing (i) concentrated solar projects in Botswana and (ii) wind projects in Botswana, exploring the complementarity of wind projects with solar PV and battery storage to meet the demand of the country (the ‘Feasibility Study');
• To provide just in time technical advisory services to the Client for the procurement of the solar and wind projects (the ‘Technical Advisory Services’); and
• To provide technical capacity building to the Client to empower the Botswana teams on the solar and wind technologies (the ‘Capacity Building’). The renewable energy (‘RE’) capacity planned under the IRP shall serve as a basis for the analysis, in close coordination with the Utility and in alignment with the requirements of the Botswana Electrical Sector:

• First of all: One CSP project of 200 MW (2*100MW Units) with storage (the ‘CSP Project’ or the ‘CSP Plants’) taking into account the fact that the pre-qualification process of these projects has already been initiated;
• Then, a wind project of 50 MW – potentially up to 100MW (the ‘Wind Project’ or the Wind Plant’) analyzed in combination with the solar Photovoltaic projects (the ‘PV Projects’) and the battery storage planned in the IRP (the ‘BESS’ Projects) as further specified by the Client at inception stage. these projects and corresponding plants being referred to in this document as ‘Projects’ and ‘Plants’.

The CSP Project should be analyzed in priority taking into account the fact that (i) a previous feasibility study has been done for the CSP project in 2013 (as well as an integration study), which should be leveraged by the Consultant building on what has been already done and the fact that (ii) a pre-qualification process for the CSP Project is on-going.

Scope of Work

Detailed Terms of References can be found in the link below:

https://app.box.com/s/c4mw2d8n5wytce6wuoyy26ogk0ke2yjc

Required Qualifications and Experience

The Consultant shall be a qualified, internationally recognized firm with at least 5 years’ relevant experience in preparing feasibility studies of at least two (2) grid connected solar plants with a minimum aggregate installed capacity of 150 MW (comprising PV plants of more than 10 MW) including at least one 50 MW CSP plant, one 50 MW PV plant and one BESS project, Conducted a wind resource assessment, feasibility study and the bankable AEP study of at least two (2) grid connected wind farms with a minimum aggregate installed capacity of 100 MW (comprising wind farms of more than 10 MW) and a Grid impact study of solar and/or wind plants including at least a plant of 50 MW.

The Consultant should also be experienced in the selection of a solar and wind plants developer through an IPP scheme tender including on preparation of the tender technical documentation, evaluation of bids and selection of the preferred bidder, and negotiations of the contractual documentation.

The evaluation will consider also experience and credentials of the applicant in Botswana and Southern African region.

The firm should be able to field multinational teams covering all areas of the study. The proposed team project shall include at least the Project Director; Project Manager; Solar and Wind resource experts; CSP expert; PV+BESS expert; Wind expert; Electrical expert; Civil and construction expert; Contract (IPP) expert; Environmental and social expert.

The team should include members based in Botswana/or willing to spend enough time in Gaborone, with experience with the Client/the Utility that can leverage previous engagements in the sector. The Consultant is highly encouraged to engage a gender diverse team as well as local staff.

The SAPP now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services.

The shortlisting criteria are:

• Years in business with relevant power sector consulting services experience
• Availability of qualified and experienced key experts
• Evidence of having executed relevant projects in terms of similar size / volume and complexity Consultants may associate with other firms in the form of a joint venture or a sub-consultancy to enhance their qualifications.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the QCBS method set out in the Procurement Regulations.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours from Monday to Friday [ 09:00 to 16:00 hours ].

Expressions of interest must be emailed to the email below, on or before 30 June 2020 at 15:00 hours Central African time and mention " Feasibility study for concentrated dispatchable solar, wind and photo-voltaic power plants with storage in Botswana. “

Contact:

Southern African Power Pool

Attention: Thembekani Luthuli, SAPP Procurement Specialist

Tel: +27 10 446 9600/+27 72 709 7252

Email Address: [email protected]