REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
(CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION)
Country: Solomon Islands
Project ID: P162902
Project Name: Solomon Islands Electricity Access and Renewable Energy Expansion Project (SIEAREEP)
IDA Grant No.: IDA-D3270
Assignment Title: Preparation of a National Electrification Strategy and Plan for Solomon Islands
Reference No.: ME-C4-2
1. Background and sector context:
The Solomon Islands is an archipelago in South Pacific consisting of about 996 islands. Its total land area is 28,450 km2, and the total sea area occupied is 800,000 km2. Of the country’s 652,858 citizens and over 108,000 households, about 80% live in rural villages and 20% in urban areas (80% of whom live in the national capital Honiara). The sex ratio of the population is 103 males per 100 females. During the period 2009-2018, the average annual growth rate (AAGR) of the country’s population was 2.4%. In urban areas, the population’s AAGR was 4.4%.
The country’s economy is comprised of a mixed subsistence sector on which the majority of the population is dependent, and a small sector dominated by large scale commercial enterprises. In 2018 the economy grew by 3.9%. The country’s leading export is natural forest timber.
While the country is endowed with some renewable energy resources, e.g., geothermal, hydro, solar, ocean, and biomass, most of these (except for solar and hydro) have not yet been tapped. The country is almost entirely dependent on imported petroleum fuels for electricity generation, for transport (land, sea, and air) and for modern energy services at household level. It is heavily dependent on fossil fuel for its commercial energy demand, but biomass still accounts for about 61% of gross national energy production, petroleum products for 34%, and hydropower and solar about 5%.
The MMERE has requested support from the World Bank to define and implement a National Electrification Strategy and Plan that addresses the energy access in a sustainable manner. In response, the Bank has agreed to provide financing under the ongoing SIEAREEP, which is intended to provide analysis and policy advice tailored to the specific needs of the energy sector in Solomon Islands. The work is expected to generate solid sector diagnostics and identify practicable action plans to consolidate and operationalize sustainable electricity access for the Solomon Islands people.
2. Objective of the assignment
The SIG, with the World Bank Group financing, is seeking to hire a consulting firm (the Consultant) to help prepare a National Electrification Strategy and Plan for Solomon Islands (NESP). The work is to be done in close coordination with the MMERE, through the Energy Division (ED) and the utility SIEA (trading as Solomon Power (SP)). The main focus of the NESP is to develop a sound strategy and implementation plan for access expansion (on-grid and off-grid). In order to do this the NESP will also consider other challenges that need to be addressed to support access expansion, namely:
I. Strengthening power sector investment planning, including identifying adequate service and technical standards and integrating generation, transmission and distribution investments;
II. Establishing an efficient institutional set-up for access expansion, with a clear allocation of responsibilities and funding among the concerned sector agencies;
III. Enhancing utility planning and implementation performance to strengthen access expansion, with special emphasis on capacity building; and
IV. Ensuring sector financial sustainability and a robust investment climate. This mainly entails: (a) better tariff setting at key segments of the value chain; and (b) improving commercial frameworks underpinning private investments in offgrid services.
In addition to the development of an access strategy the Consultant will also conduct:
V. an analysis of the most suited opportunities for private sector participation – for example in the generation sector as Independent Power Producers (IPPs); and
VI. identify the needed enablers or barriers which need to be activated/removed for their effective participation, including, as needed, any changes which may be required in the legal and regulatory framework (notably identification of the needed adaptations and amendments to the Electricity Act/Bill, licensing framework, suitable arrangements for concession agreements, etc.)
3. Scope of Work
The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment will be made available on request to Solomon Power at contact details are provided in section 6 below.
4. Competence and Qualification
MMERE now invites eligible consulting firms or 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 Consultant will be required to mobilize a team of experts with diversified technical competencies, including (but not limited to) energy sector institutional, regulatory and legal aspects; integrated energy sector planning; planning and design of power distribution systems; rural electrification (on-grid and off-grid); electricity tariffs and utility management and operations. Ideally, the Consultant should include local experts as well.
5. Selection
The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” July 2016 [Revised November 2017 and August 2018] (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.
Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications, but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.
A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the CQS method set out in the Procurement Regulations.
The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment will be made available on request to Solomon Power at contact details provided in section 6 below.
6. Application and Submission
Interested eligible firm or Consultant can obtain further information at the address below during office hours 8 am to 4:30 pm on business days, Monday to Friday.
Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by fax, or by e-mail) by 4.00pm on 2 December 2019:
Solomon Power
Mr. Hermant Kumar
2nd Floor, Solomon Power, Ranadi Head Office
City: Honiara
E-mail address:
CW.procurement@solomonpower.com.sb
Hemant.Kumar@solomonpower.com.sb
Fax number: +677 39472
Web Page: www.solomonpower.com.sb
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
(CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION)
Country: Solomon Islands
Project ID: P162902 Project Name: Solomon Islands Electricity Access and Renewable Energy Expansion Project (SIEAREEP)
IDA Grant No.: IDA-D3270
Assignment Title: Preparation of a National Electrification Strategy and Plan for Solomon Islands
Reference No.: ME-C4-2
1. Objective of the assignment
The SIG, with the World Bank Group financing, is seeking to hire a consulting firm (the Consultant) to help prepare a National Electrification Strategy and Plan for Solomon Islands (NESP). The work is to be done in close coordination with the MMERE, through the Energy Division (ED) and the utility SIEA (trading as Solomon Power (SP)). The main focus of the NESP is to develop a sound strategy and implementation plan for access expansion (on-grid and off-grid). In order to do this the NESP will also consider other challenges that need to be addressed to support access expansion, namely:
I. Strengthening power sector investment planning, including identifying adequate service and technical standards and integrating generation, transmission and distribution investments;
II. Establishing an efficient institutional set-up for access expansion, with a clear allocation of responsibilities and funding among the concerned sector agencies;
III. Enhancing utility planning and implementation performance to strengthen access expansion, with special emphasis on capacity building; and
IV. Ensuring sector financial sustainability and a robust investment climate. This mainly entails: (a) better tariff setting at key segments of the value chain; and (b) improving commercial frameworks underpinning private investments in offgrid services.”
In addition to the development of an access strategy the Consultant will also conduct:
V. an analysis of the most suited opportunities for private sector participation – for example in the generation sector as Independent Power Producers (IPPs); and
VI. identify the needed enablers or barriers which need to be activated/removed for their effective participation, including, as needed, any changes which may be required in the legal and regulatory framework (notably identification of the needed adaptations and amendments to the Electricity Act/Bill, licensing framework, suitable arrangements for concession agreements, etc.)
2. Scope of Work
The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment will be made available on request to Solomon Power at contact details are provided in section 6 below.
3. Competence and Qualification
MMERE now invites eligible consulting firms or 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 Consultant will be required to mobilize a team of experts with diversified technical competencies, including (but not limited to) energy sector institutional, regulatory and legal aspects; integrated energy sector planning; planning and design of power
Solomon Islands Electricity Authority trading as SOLOMON POWER
distribution systems; rural electrification (on-grid and off-grid); electricity tariffs and utility management and operations. Ideally, the Consultant should include local experts as well.
4. Selection
The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” July 2016 [Revised November 2017 and August 2018] (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.
Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications, but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.
A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the CQS method set out in the Procurement Regulations.
The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment will be made available on request to Solomon Power at contact details provided in section 6 below.
5. Application and Submission
Interested eligible firm or Consultant can obtain further information at the address below during office hours 8 am to 4:30 pm on business days, Monday to Friday.
Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by fax, or by e-mail) by 4.00pm on 2 December 2019:
Solomon Power
Mr. Hermant Kumar
2nd Floor, Solomon Power, Ranadi Head Office
City: Honiara
Telephone number: +677 38801 or +677 7496783
E-mail address:
CW.procurement@solomonpower.com.sb
Hemant.Kumar@solomonpower.com.sb
Fax number: +677 39472
Web Page: www.solomonpower.com.sb
Request for Bids (RFB)
Employer: Solomon Islands Electricity Authority T/A Solomon Power
Project: SP Office Building Projects
Contract Title: Demolition and Rebuilding of SP Office building at Lata, Temotu Province
RFB No: SP-LAT-OBDR-0819
1. The Solomon Islands Electricity Authority T/A Solomon Power now invites sealed Bids from eligible Bidders for the demolition and rebuilding of the new office building at Lata, Temotu Province.
Only eligible Bidders with key qualifications given below may participate in this bidding process.
• net worth in the last financial year should be positive.
• minimum average annual turnover of SBD$1,200,000.00 within the last 5 years.
• Cash flow requirements of SB$300,000.00.
• participation as contractor, joint venture member, management contractor, or subcontractor, in at least two (2) similar contracts within the last three (3) years, each with a value of at least One Million, Two Hundred Thousand SB Dollars (SB$1.2M), that have been successfully or substantially completed.
2. Bidding will be conducted through the SP Bidding procedures and is open to interested eligible bidders.
3. Copy of the bidding document may be obtained from Rolland Noi at Solomon Power Ranadi Head Office.
4. A Compulsory Pre-Tender meeting to be followed with a Site Inspection visit will be held on Monday 18th November 2019 at 9.30am at the Solomon Power Office at Lata, with interested eligible bidders.
5. Note: Any bid documents from bidders who fail to attend the Pre-Tender meeting and the Site inspection on Monday 18th November 2019 will be considered as non-responsive.
6. Bids must be delivered in sealed envelopes labelled with the address provided below and hand delivered at SP Ranadi Head office on or before 12.00pm on 25th November 2019. Electronic bidding will not be accepted. Late Bids will be rejected. Bids will be publicly opened in the presence of the Bidders’ designated representatives and anyone who chooses to attend at the Solomon Power head office at Ranadi on 25th November 2019 at 12.10 pm.
7. All enquiries related to the bidding documents are to be directed to Mr. Dalton Maesia at Solomon Power on telephone 42390 or via email: dalton.maesia@solomonpower.com.sb.
8. The address referred to above is:
SP LATA Office Building Project
Solomon Power
Ranadi Head Office
P.O Box 6
Honiara
Solomon Islands
RFB No: SP-LAT-OBDR-0819