Loren Data's SAM Daily™

FBO DAILY ISSUE OF JANUARY 06, 2005 FBO #1137
MODIFICATION

R -- Africa Regional: Southern African Power Pool Opportunities Definitional Mission

Notice Date

1/4/2005
 

Notice Type

Modification
 

NAICS

541611 — Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
 

Contracting Office

United States Trade and Development Agency, TDA Contracts Office, USTDA, 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1600, Arlington, VA, 22209-3901
 

ZIP Code

22209-3901
 

Solicitation Number

USTDA-05-Q-11-065
 

Response Due

1/14/2005
 

Archive Date

1/29/2005
 

Small Business Set-Aside

Total Small Business
 

Description

The purpose of this amendment is to extend the due date for proposals from 4:00pm eastern time on January 7, 2005 to 4:00pm eastern time on January 14, 2005 and to add the following Part 6 to the Statement Of Work: 6 Project Descriptions and Profile USTDA seeks to hire a Definitional Mission (DM) team to travel to the Southern Africa Power Pool (SAPP) area to investigate energy sector projects, including generation, power transmission, and regulatory requirements, among others, for potential USTDA funding. The team will also provide suggestions to USTDA for Orientation Visits (reverse trade missions) and conferences, as appropriate. The team is required to travel to Botswana, but will be expected to propose which other SAPP countries they believe will be most beneficial for travel to recommend high quality projects. The SAPP is facing an impending energy crisis in the coming years, perhaps as early as 2007. Eskom currently produced more electricity than South Africa needs, thus the company controls most of the traded energy in the region. As South African demand is expected to exceed supply by 2007, Eskom will soon not be able to fill the electricity gaps in the other SAPP countries. It is feared that any power Eskom does export will only be available at very high prices. Energy supply remains a critical issue for development for all of the countries in the SAPP, and therefore continues to be a development priority for each member government. Through recent and past USTDA staff travel to the region, the agency has received a leads for assistance with energy projects throughout the region. Given the interconnected nature of the power pool, a least-cost generation analysis must consider the entire region, and financing opportunities may be enhanced by considering region-wide demand. It is expected that USTDA's assistance would potentially serve as an impetus for U.S. involvement in energy sector development in this region at this critical time. Botswana offers at least two major energy generation projects: the Mmamabule coal-fired power station, and the Eastern Botswana coal-bed methane project. The Mmamabule coal-fired power station is estimated to have a 3,600 MW capacity by 2015. The Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) has already discussed power offtake with South Africa's Eskom. The second project is the Eastern Botswana coal-bed methane project, for which USTDA funded the feasibility study in 2003. As the feasibility study comes to a close, further USTDA assistance may be merited to help move the project to implementation. The project has already received preliminary Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) funding. A potential project could examine the potential of using a gas-fired power plant that would burn coal-bed methane as one solution to the country?s electricity needs. The definitional mission team should also explore other technical assistance for Botswana's energy ministry and related entities. USTDA expects bidders to propose a strategy that they believe will be the best approach for recommending high quality projects. For background purposes only, we are providing some information below about a few possibilities in Mozambique and Namibia. This should in no way be construed as comprehensive or as the areas with the most opportunity for USTDA assistance. Mozambique is a critical country with regard to the future of the Southern African Power Pool. Cahora Bassa, a hyrdoelectric dam on Mozambique?s Zambezi River, generates 2040 MW of power. Mozambican authorities are considering a plan to increase capacity at that site by 600 MW. At the same time, Mozambique is seeking private investors to develop Mepanda Uncua -- a 1200 MW hydropower plant further downstream. Additionally, the government seeks assistance from foreign experts to develop gas fired power plant facilities fed by new natural gas streams from a pipeline between Northern Mozambique and South Africa. Finally, Mozambique is pushing forward with projects to extend the power pool to its neighbors including a transmission interconnect project with Malawi. Nambia seeks to solve pending power supply shortages through new power generation and improved transmission infrastructure. The government sees the offshore Kudu gas reserves as an opportunity to develop an on-shore 800 MW gas-fired power plant at Oranjemund. The financial feasibility of this project is in question, as the cost of landing the gas needs to be determined. In the short term, Namibia plans to press forward with extending its transmission networks to import power from Zambia and, by extension, from Mozambique, through the development of the Trans-Caprivi Power Transmission project. Namibia is also a crucial player in the Western Corridor Power Project -- a transmission project to deliver hydropower from the Congo River to Angola, Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa.
 

Place of Performance

Address: Headquarters, USTDA, 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1600, Arlington, VA.

Zip Code: 22209-3901

Country: USA
 

Record

SN00729842-W 20050106/050104212744 (fbodaily.com)
 

Source

FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

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