Feasibility study to be sought for Sinoe Rapids

The Ministry of Finance of Liberia has issued a prior information notice for consulting services to assist with the development of the Sinoe Rapids small hydro project.

Bids will be invited for the preparation of a feasibility study, detailed design and tender documents for a 1 MW run-of-river scheme, to provide captive supply of electricity to Greenville, a town of approximately 17 000 residents in Sinoe County in southeast Liberia.

The project was the subject of a prefeasibility study completed in early 2018. The indicative design stipulates the implementation of a low-head (5.5 m) run-of-river type plant. Required works include further site investigations (topography and geological mapping excluding drilling), hydrological studies, optimization of layout and design and a feasibility study-level environmental and social impact assessment. Study of transmission and distribution will not be part of the assignment.

The anticipated duration of the services is nine months for the feasibility study, which has an indicative budget of €600 000, and is being co-financed by the European Development Fund under Annex IV to the Partnership Agreement between the members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States and the European Community and its member states. Interested engineering consultancies will have the option to supervise construction, which would have an estimated duration of three years, with an indicative budget of €1.5 million.

Bids will be solicited after mid-April, as there must be a minimum of 30 calendar days between the publication of this prior information notice and the publication of the corresponding contract notice, according to the notice. No applications or requests for information should be sent at this stage.