Individual Consultant: Hydropower Development Project and Management

Job Description

Objective and Purpose of the Assignment

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is the anchor development partner in Pakistan’s energy sector. The ongoing COBP 2023–2025 discussions with the government authorities are expected to include new investment projects including a regional energy trade project under the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation framework, power transmission project, and hydropower development projects. The F-TRTA provided by ADB, supports project preparation for the (i) Energy Sector Reforms and Financial Sustainability Program (ii) Power Transmission Strengthening Program (iii) Hydropower Development Project, (iv) Gas Sector Development Project, and (v) Power Distribution Strengthening Program. The F- TRTA also supports developing the project management capacity of the executing agency and assists the government in assessing its investment pipeline, prioritize and sequence energy projects, and optimize financial and capital structure including private sector participation in the investment projects.

The executing agencies for the F-TRTA are the Ministry of Finance for the policy-based lending; the Ministry of Energy for the transmission, distribution, and gas development investment projects; and the Ministry of Water Resources for the hydropower project. The implementing agencies are the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) for the hydropower project, the National Transmission & Despatch Company for the power transmission project, the Interstate Gas Systems Limited for gas development, and the concerned power distribution companies for the power distribution enhancement projects.

The government has undertaken a reform increasing access to the reliable indigenous energy resources and one of it is run of river hydropower plants on Indus River. WAPDA, a state-owned agency which is responsible for hydropower development projects. One of the proposed projects is Thakot III hydropower development project with estimates capacity of 1,490 megawatts (MW).

An international consultant (a Hydropower Specialist), hereinafter referred to as “Hydropower Specialist”, will assist ADB and WAPDA hydropower wing in preparation of the project readiness financing facility documents for Thakot III hydropower plant.

Scope of Work

The Hydropower Specialist will assist WAPDA power wing in developing Thakot III hydropower project and managing processing of project readiness financing (PRF) facility by providing advice, recommendations, and solutions on various technical matters, including providing support in PC-2 approval. The Hydropower Specialist will work with WAPDA and ADB project team on developing the required project documents and term of references for hiring a consultant company. The Hydropower Specialist will assist WAPDA to review feasibility study and other technical documents on Thakot III hydropower projects to work with other consultants, who will be engaged or are already engaged by WAPDA, especially on issues related to hydropower plants, hydraulic studies and forecasts, transmission lines and substations for electric power evacuation and connection to grid. Hydropower Specialist will be located in Lahore where WAPDA head office is, WAPDA will provide office space to the Specialist. The Hydropower Specialist will report to the ADB project team. WAPDA will assign a full-time senior specialist to coordinate Specialist activities in WAPDA and provide a wide range of support to Hydropower Specialist.

Detailed Tasks and/or Expected Output

The Hydropower Specialist will undertake the following tasks:

• (i) Review available technical documents on Thakot III hydropower generation project and identify missing studies, surveys, due diligences, and other gaps in the project feasibility study.;
• (ii) Prepare terms of reference for consulting firm to conduct missing studied and surveys and fill the gaps in the Thakot III hydropower generation project feasibility study to make it bankable;
• (iii) Prepare terms of reference for consulting firm to prepare detailed design and draft bidding documents for Thakot III hydropower project matching the government and ADB needs;
• (iv) Prepare PC-2 documents for WAPDA for the Thakot III hydropower project to be approved by Planning Commission.
• (v) Prepare a capacity development plan and act as resource person/trainer/facilitator in the development of WAPDA’s institutional capacity on hydropower development projects; and
• (vi) Any other related activities as may be reasonably requested by ADB and WAPDA.

Deliverables

1. Inception Report

• (i) Report on: mission studies, surveys and other gaps in the Thakot III feasibility study

2. Interim Report

• (i) Draft TOR for Consultant to fill gaps in the feasibility study
• (ii) Draft TOR for Consultant to prepare detailed design Thakot III hydropower project

3. Draft Final Report

• (i) WAPDA capacity development plan
• (ii) PC-2 documents Thakot III hydropower project

4. Final Report

• (i) Full PRF documents
• (ii) Final TOR for project consultant

Minimum Qualification Requirements

The Hydropower specialist (3 person-months) will have a university degree in engineering with 10 years of professional experience, including design and project management of Power projects, with 5 years of experience in hydropower projects, of which at least 2 years as team leader. The best knowledge of English language, knowledge of Urdu is advance.

Minimum General Experience 10 Years

Minimum Specific Experience (relevant to assignment) 5 Years

Project Officer Takhmina Mukhamedova
Designation Energy Specialist
Asian Development Bank
Email tmukhamedova@adb.org