The EBRD, which is considering financing a further rehabilitation of the Enguri hydropower plant run by LLC Enghuresi, the state-owned operator of the 1300 MW Enguri plant and the 220 MW Vardnili Cascade, as well as the development of a number of smaller hydropower plants in the Enguri river basin, states that it sees “a clear need for improved coordination of hydro-meteorological and hydrological data collection and provision, as well as introduction of best international practices in this area”.
The EBRD notes that the limited human and financial resources of Georgia’s Hydro-Meteorological Department have allowed the provision of only limited hydro-meteorological data to the hydropower sector. For the entire Enguri river basin, there is only one state-owned functioning observation station available. Hydropower operators and developers carry out weather and hydrological monitoring to satisfy their own needs. Despite the prominence of the hydropower sector, no measurements of discharges and sediment contents are routinely taken by the Hydro-Meteorological Department. This presents a significant economic risk as it is expected that in the medium term Georgia will experience increased variability of hydrological patterns, whereas in a more remote future, more profound climate changes may materialize, according to the EBRD.
Another challenge arising in the Enguri basin is sedimentation. The Enguri reservoir already has significant sediment deposits and its operator is launching a process to assess and implement short and long-term solutions to address this sedimentation issue in a sustainable manner.
The selected consultant is expected to provide the following services: establishment of a river basin-wide initiative that fosters better coordination and collaboration among stakeholders in the Enguri basin, and fits Georgia’s plan to adopt and implement the EU water framework directive; strengthening of technical skills and capacity for collecting, accessing and using hydro-meteorological data for managing risks associated with climatic variability and climate change to ensure optimized hydropower energy generation and dam safety; development of an effective hydrological model (or models); improved use of hydromet data and hydrological modelling resulting in optimized energy generation, improved dam safety and climate risk management; establishment of data sharing for the members of the Initiative; institutional continuation of the initiative after the end of the assignment; and, analysis of test results for piloting draft Hydropower Sector Climate Resilience Guidelines. The assignment, which is expected to start in December 2019 and last 24 months, has an estimated value (exclusive of VAT) of €450 000.
The consultant selection will be conducted by e-procurement using the EBRD Client E-Procurement Portal (ECEPP). Prospective participants who have registered in ECEPP and expressed an interest in the contract may access the documents and may request clarification and further information from the client through ECEPP. Non-registered firms should register on ECEPP at this link: ecepp.ebrd.com and express an interest in this assignment. The RFP for this assignment is available for firms registered in ECEPP free of charge at the above link. Full conditions for participation are included in the documents. Prospective consultants may request clarification and further information from the client through ECEPP. Following submission, qualified firms will be ranked on the basis of the criteria set out in the RFPS and the highest ranked consultant will be selected to negotiate the contract, subject to availability of funding.
For further information, contact: Giorgi Kakushadze, JSC Georgian Energy Development Fund, Baratashvili street, #8, 4th floor, Tbilisi, 0105, Georgia; Tel: +995 322 181 131; Email: g.kakushadze@gedf.com.ge.
