Panel of experts sought for Bac Ai pumped-storage project in Vietnam

The French development agency, Agence Française de Développement (AFD), is seeking to engage individual regional or international specialists to form a panel of experts to provide technical assistance services for the development of the 1.2 GW Bac Ai pumped-storage hydropower plant in the Ninh Thuan province of Vietnam. Bids are sought by 14 March in separate tenders for the roles of dam safety specialist (LOT-0001), geotechnical specialist (LOT-0002), electro-mechanical expert (LOT-0003) and environmental and social specialist (LOT-0004) as part of the panel of experts.

The project, which was approved by the Government of Vietnam in March 2016, is to be developed by state-owned power utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN) at an estimated cost of US$ 910 million. Construction work is scheduled to begin in 2024 for commissioning in 2030. The project in Bác Ái District, which is designed with four 300 MW units, is expected to be co-financed by the AFD, the European Investment Bank (EIB), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Germany’s development bank (KfW).

The services of each member of the panel of experts are expected to be required for a minimum of seven years from 2024 to 2030 to ensure continuity in the preparation and implementation of the project, according to the tender notice published on 9 February. The procurement notice can be viewed on the EU’s procurement portal website at https://ted.europa.eu/en/notice/-/detail/85390-2024. Procurement documents can also be downloaded from https://www.marches-securises.fr/.

For further information, contact: Agence Française de Développement, 5 rue Roland Barthes, 75598 Paris, France; E-mail: libersarta.ext@afd.fr; Tel.: +33 153443131; Fax: +33 144879939