The Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification (MMERE) of the Solomon Islands seeks to appoint a project manager to oversee implementation of the 15 MW Tina River hydropower project on the island of Guadalcanal. Bids from qualified consultants are sought by 27 October. The project manager will head up a dedicated Project Office (PO) operating under the MMERE. The project office will oversee implementation of the construction programme for the components of the project; ensure that all requirements of the project financiers are fulfilled, and that the project achieves the anticipated commercial operation date. The PO is responsible for regularly reporting to the Government of the Solomon Islands through the project steering committee and the project financiers on the implementation progress. Key responsibilities of the post and required qualification and experience can be viewed in the tender notice on the procurement website of the World Bank at https://projects.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/procurement-detail/OP00099841. This is an international full-time position based in Honiara, Solomon Islands, for an initial period of two years with the expected opportunity to renew up to a period of five years subject to performance.
The 15 MW storage project is the first large-scale infrastructure project to be developed as a public-private partnership in the Solomon Islands and is designed to help lower electricity prices for consumers by reducing dependence on diesel generation through an increase in the share of renewable energy. The project is being developed on a Build Own Operate and Transfer (BOOT) basis by Tina Hydropower Limited (THL), a South Korean consortium of state water utility Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water) and Hyundai Engineering Corporation. The Solomon Islands Government (SIG) and THL have also executed an Implementation Agreement (IA) and Government Guarantee Agreement (GGA) establishing rights and responsibilities between SIG and THL. Financial closure was reached on 12 December 2019, on which date the PPA, IA and GGA became effective. Production from the plant, which is scheduled to enter operation in 2025, will be sold to the state utility Solomon Power under a 34-year PPA (including construction period) signed in December 2018.
The Tina River hydropower facility on the river Tina, 20 km southeast of the capital Honiara, will comprise a 75 m-high RCC dam that will impound a reservoir with a capacity of 7 million m3, 3.5 km of tunnels including a 3.3 km-long headrace tunnel, a surge shaft and a surface-type steel penstock to convey water from the dam to the powerhouse that will house three 5 MW Francis turbines. It will include an extra bay for future installation of a possible fourth 5 MW turbine.
Interested candidates are invited to send full Curriculum Vitae with cover letter detailing suitability for the position to: The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification
P O Box G37 Honiara, Solomon Islands; E-mail: CVehe@mmere.gov.sb. A copy of the complete application documents should also be sent to Deputy Project Manager, Tina Hydro Project Office,
Level 1, Anthony Saru Building, Honiara, Solomon Islands; E-mail: office@tina-hydro.com
