Date of publication: 14/04/2023

Submission deadline: 10/05/2023

Introduction

WASCAL is an international organization whose primary mission is to improve scientific technical knowledge on climate change, its effects and its interactions with all related disciplines in West Africa with a view to providing populations with sustainable capacities to resilience and adaptation through climate services, training and capacity building, research and innovation. WASCAL brings together 11 West African countries and Germany and its activities are mainly funded by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF)

In recent years, WASCAL has put the issue of energy at the heart of its priorities, to be able to adequately address the issue of climate change in line with the energy transition which is the subject of numerous initiatives, commitments, negotiations and agreements of the international community. Thus, in addition to its 4 existing priority themes, WASCAL has included the theme of renewable energy to deepen scientific knowledge of the climate energy nexus and develop practical actions both at the policy and technological level to allow an efficient and massive deployment of renewable energy technologies with a view to combating climate change and improving livelihoods.

In this area, WASCAL is developing, in collaboration with its partners, numerous projects in the countries across the region. We can cite the waste to energy project in Ghana, the biogas laboratory in Togo, various solar projects in Niger, Mali, Nigeria, Benin, Gambia and projects under development in other Member States. In addition, WASCAL is developing a Green Hydrogen Atlas project in West Africa, is implementing a specialized training program in green hydrogen and in partnership with ECREEE has initiated the development process of ECOWAS regional green hydrogen policy and strategy.

WASCAL responded favorably to the request of the Government of Burkina Faso, which expressed in 2020 its desire to develop a waste to energy power plant project with the ambition of not only recovering waste for the production of electricity but also participating in the sanitation for the benefit of communities. WASCAL has agreed to finance the feasibility studies for this project, which is the subject of these terms of reference.

Context and Justification

II. 1. The electricity sector in Burkina Faso

With an electricity access rate of less than 25% in 2021 and a demand that is growing at about 10% per year, Burkina Faso is facing a major energy challenge. Its resources are limited (low hydroelectric potential, no oil or gas deposits), the cost of energy is high and supply quality needs to be improved. Sustainable access to sufficient and affordable energy is essential for economic and social development. The national development strategy includes the expansion of the installed capacity, grid extension and the use of endogenous renewable energy resources as priorities. Electricity generation, transmission and distribution are provided primarily by the Société Nationale d’Electricité du Burkina (“SONABEL”), a public company with fully state-owned capital. While SONABEL has the monopoly on electricity transmission, generation is open to the private sector, with SONABEL currently being the sole buyer. Power distribution can also be provided by other parties (private or electricity cooperatives) in areas not covered by SONABEL. The existing distribution facilities on the interconnected grid is mainly composed of thermal power plants (diesel generators) as well as small hydropower plants. The total installed capacity of the generating fleet at the end of 2020 was 366 MW. In 2020, the energy produced was 2,183,533 MWh, 68% of which was imported from neighboring countries, mainly Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, 18.43% from thermal power plants, 5.76% from private production (AGGREKO & FASO BIOGAZ), 5.15% from hydroelectric dams and 2.62% from solar power plants. Medium voltage (MV) interconnections also exist with Ghana and Togo.

The strategy for the energy sector for the period 2019-2023 of the Ministry in charge of energy is based on the commitments made by Burkina Faso at the international, regional and sub-regional levels as well as on the reference documents at the national level. This strategy is therefore guided by international agreements and commitments such as the United Nations Agenda 2030, the Rio Convention on Climate Change (1992), the Kyoto Protocol (1997), the African Union’s Agenda 2063, Community regulations, etc.

In light of the major challenges to be met, the vision for energy is as follows: “By 2023, the energy sector in Burkina Faso, relying on endogenous resources and regional cooperation, will ensure sustainable access to modern energy services and consolidate its role as a driving force for sustainable development”.

The overall objective of this strategy is to ensure access to quality modern energy services and to promote energy efficiency; hence the implementation of the strategy is based on two (02) strategic axes:

Axis 1: Strengthening the energy supply;

Axis 2: Promotion of energy efficiency;

The main strategic objective of Axis 1 is to make electrical energy available and accessible to all, with the expected effect of enhancing the value and mass use of renewable energies, in which the concept of “WASTE TO VALUE & WASTE TO ENERGY” naturally fits in.

According to the report on plastic waste management in the WAEMU¹ region, more than one million tons of waste are produced every year in the Union, stored in several major landfills, which constitute sources of pollution and risks for urban utilities (water, sanitation, energy, mobility, etc.) as well as sources of greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change. Waste collection and treatment is the responsibility of the governments, which prefer landfill, an economic solution but extremely polluting (greenhouse gas emissions) and source of risks for all urban services (water, sanitation, energy, mobility, etc.). Waste treatment for energy production is still very limited in Burkina Faso, which has operationalized several technical landfills (municipal and industrial waste) in Ouagadougou for better management of the city’s waste.

However, sustainable waste management remains one of the priorities of the Common Policy for the Improvement of the Environment and it would be advisable to seek a better energy recovery of these wastes for the production of clean electricity in order to contribute to the fulfilment of the national energy mix objective as defined in the strategic axes of the sectoral policy of Burkinabe Faso.

II.2. Project description and scope of the study

The current environmental and climatic challenges call upon the authorities of Burkina Faso to consider the concept of “sustainable development” in the strategic orientation of the energy policies. The municipality of Ouagadougou collects large quantities of waste which should allow the development of biomass energy production to meet the following objectives:

Contribute to increasing energy supply and independence;
Contribute to decreasing the cost price of energy;
Contribute to improving the sanitation of the city.

The purpose of this document is to define the terms of reference for the selection of a firm to conduct a feasibility study for the construction of a 1 MW biomass power plant. This study will allow WASCAL and the Ministry in charge of Energy of Burkina Faso to reach an agreement and to ensure the sustainability of the project, which will also encourage the recovery of solid household and industrial waste in the city of Ouagadougou.

The scope of the study deals with the feasibility study for the realization of a 1 MW biomass power plant to be connected to the National Interconnected Network and associated infrastructures (evacuation lines in particular).

II. Purpose

III.1. General Objective

The general objective of the assignment is to carry out a technical, economic, socio-cultural and environmental feasibility study for the construction of a 1 MW biomass power plant using household and industrial solid waste in the city of Ouagadougou.

Specifically, it is to conduct all appropriate studies and make recommendations to help the parties involved in their decision to finance and implement the Project

III.2. Specific objectives

The work will be carried out in the following six phases:

Phase I. Data Collection

Upon commencement of the assignment, the firm will coordinate with SONABEL and the technical services of the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Quarries to hold a start-up meeting with the objective:

identify partners to support the contractor in the realization of its work;
approve the methodology, timeline and monitoring methods of the work to be carried out;
collect data and other documentation necessary for the successful completion of the mission;
Identify more broadly the stakeholders in the project and plan for their involvement.

Phase II. State of play or prefeasibility study of the deposit

To assess the potential of municipal, household and industrial solid waste that can be used to generate electricity in the municipality of Ouagadougou and its surroundings.

Mapping of pre-collection centers and other waste collection points with the identification of various strong potential sites;
Quantify and classify the solid waste produced in the city of Ouagadougou;
Conduct an analysis of waste availability, seasonality and accessibility;
Overview of the waste collection system in the municipality and its surroundings;
Mapping and overview of the “illegal” dumpsites within the municipality of Ouagadougou and its surroundings;
State of play of the production and management of the solid waste in the municipality of Ouagadougou (household and industrial);
State of play of logistics for the collection of household waste to pre-collection points and from pre-collection points to Technical Landfills Center (TLC);
Overview of economic activities around the collection of municipal, household and industrial waste within and outside the city of Ouagadougou;
Proposing potential sites for the installation of dry biomass plants based on the mapping of waste collection points and the availability of a connection point;
Carry out a literature review on the physico-chemical characteristics of municipal waste through existing reports on similar studies in Burkina Faso and other WAEMU countries
Carry out a literature review on the environmental regulations in force in Burkina Faso for this type of project;
Carry out a literature review on the institutional organization related to this type of project;;
To benchmark innovative processes for sustainable management of municipal, household and industrial solid waste and their recovery in forms of energy (production of electricity, heat, driving force) in Africa first and anywhere else in the world.

Phase III. Proposals for innovative and appropriate technical solutions for a 1 MW pilot project

Making proposals for innovative solutions and adapted to our context in order to define a pilot project for the production of energy from municipal, household and industrial waste in compliance with the regulations in force;
Identifying capacity building topics to be carried out for the implementation of the project;
Technical, economic and environmental study of a pilot dry biomass power plant with a capacity of 1 MW with injection to the grid:

Equipment sizing and identification of major potential waste producers in the city of Ouagadougou;
Description and geolocation of the pilot site;
Determination of the necessary quantity of waste and its characteristics;
Determination of the treatments and conditioning necessary for the utilization of the waste;
Definition of logistics for the supply of biomass to the pilot site;
Definition of the best way or circuit to supply the pilot site with biomass.

Introduction

Defining, in collaboration with SONABEL’s technical teams and the city council, the potential points of connection of the power plant to the electrical grid;
Carry out studies (static and dynamic) for the connection of the plant;
Identifying the technical constraints due to the connection of the power plant;
Proposing necessary reinforcement measures for an optimal integration of the plant in the SONABEL grid.

Phase V: Economic and financial analysis of the project

Analyse et détermination des différents coûts liés aux investissements et à l’exploitation / prévision en faisant ressortir les CAPEX et les OPEX du projet ;
Making financial proposals that allow a low LCOE, making the project attractive for SONABEL;
Based on an analysis of the supply chain of the waste production chain, the Consultant will propose a financing mechanism of this chain by SONABEL (management of logistics and personnel) to ensure its sustainability;
Estimate over a period to be defined according to the technical lifetime of the installations, the rate of internal economic return (IRR) as well as the current net value (NPV).

Phase VI: Environmental and social impact assessment of the project

Determine the potential impact of the project on the physical and social environment of the communities hosting the plants;
Identify measures and recommendations likely to avoid, mitigate or compensate for related negative effects;
Propose environmental, economic and social compensation measures that will be eventually caused by the implantation of the plant.

III. Expected results

At the end of this feasibility study, the expected results are;

The potential of municipal, household and industrial solid waste that can be recovered as well as their physico-chemical characteristics for the purpose of electricity production in the municipality of Ouagadougou and its surroundings;
The situation of the logistics for the collection of household waste to the pre-collection points and from the pre-collection points to the Technical Landfills (TLC) is known;
The economic activity around the collection of municipal, household and industrial waste within and outside the concerned municipalities is analyzed;
The potential sites for the installation of dry biomass plants based on the mapping of waste collection points are identified;
Potential impacts of the project on the physical and social environment and proposed mitigation/compensation measures are identified;
Capacity building programs are proposed;
Technical studies on integrating the plant are available;
The mechanism for the sustainability of the waste supply chain is defined;
Innovative processes for the sustainable management of municipal, household and industrial solid waste and their recovery in forms of energy (production of electricity, heat, driving force) are listed;
Innovative and appropriate solutions to define a pilot project for the production of energy from municipal, household and industrial waste in compliance with the regulations in force are proposed;
The investment costs and operating expenses of a pilot dry biomass power plant with a capacity of 1MW with injection to the grid are known and a business model is available.

IV. Profile and expertise of the consultant

The consultant to be selected should be an international firm specialized in renewable energies with proven expertise in the field of energy production from municipal and industrial waste, with ten years of experience and relevant references in similar assignments.

He must have a good knowledge of the energy sector and of waste management issues in Burkina Faso. The consultant’s team of experts must be composed of at least five (5) people. They must also have a good understanding of the issues related to the implementation of renewable energy policies and strategies in West Africa and particularly in Burkina Faso.

The inclusion of national experts in the team of consultants would be greatly appreciated.

Head of Mission: Bioenergetician

Qualification: PhD or Master’s degree (Bac+5) in Bio-energy or equivalent
Languages: level C2 in French
General work experience: 15 years in Renewable Energy and environmental projects
Specific Experience: 10 years of experience in bio-energy project studies and implementation Leadership/Management Experience: 8 years of management/leadership experience as a project team leader or business manager
Regional experience: 5 years in bioenergy projects in ECOWAS countries
Experience in development cooperation: 5 years’ experience in development projects

Expert 1: Economist and Financial Analyst

Qualifications of Expert 1

Qualification: PhD or Master’s degree (BAC+5) in economics, finance or financial engineering or equivalent

Languages: C2 level in French
General professional experience: 10 years of experience in studies and implementation of energy projects in financial engineering, economic studies
Specific experience: 5 years of experience in developing economic and/or financial models for bioenergy and/or renewable energy projects
Regional experience: 5 years in bioenergy projects in Africa, including 2 years in ECOWAS countries

Expert 2: Energy engineer

Qualifications of Expert 2

Qualification: Master’s degree (Bac+5) in electrical power engineering and renewable energy or equivalent
Languages: C2 level in French
General professional experience: 10 years in planning and implementation of power facilities
Specific experience: 3 to 5 years in connection studies and in the operation of renewable energy plants, including grid-connected bioenergy in Burkina Faso

Expert 3: Electrical Engineer

Qualifications of the Expert 3

Qualification: Master’s degree (Bac+5) in electrical or electromechanical engineering or equivalent
Languages: C2 level in French
General professional experience: 10 years in planning and implementation of power facilities
Specific experience: 5 years in studies and realizations of Renewable plants including bio energy in Burkina Faso

Expert 4: Environmentalist

Qualifications of Expert 3

Qualification : Master (Bac+5) in environment or equivalent
Languages: C2 level in French
General professional experience: 10 years in the field of environmental and social impact studies
Specific experience: 3 to 5 years in impact studies for the construction of energy plants including Bio energy or waste management sites in Burkina Faso

V. Deliverables

The different deliverables of the study will be presented by the Consultant during a technical workshop. This presentation to the different stakeholders (Ministry, SONABEL, WASCAL, and City Council) will allow discussion on the studies and analysis in order to provide guidance on the recommendations and the different options.

The Final Report of the study will be submitted taking into account the observations made by the stakeholders in Burkina Faso, namely the Ministry in charge of Energy, the concerned municipalities, SONABEL and WASCAL.

DeLivrables	Date	Comments
Inception report	2 weeks after inception meeting
Phase 1&2 Interim Report	4 weeks after the inception report
Final report of Phase 1&2	1 week after the validation of the interim report 1
interim Report of Phase 3	4 weeks after validation of the Final report of phase 1
Phase 3 final report	1 week after validation of the Phase 2 draft report
Final report	3 weeks after validation of the final draft report of phase 2

VI. Execution of the assignment

VII.1. Capacity Building

This study will include a “skills transfer” component. To this end, the Consultant will submit a technical and financial proposal for capacity building needs. This component will involve the entire waste supply chain, the experts in charge of monitoring the study, as well as any other entity deemed relevant. The assignment will be executed within a maximum period of twelve (12) weeks from the date of contract notification. The Consultant’s inception report will highlight the approach and tools that will be used to achieve the expected objectives of this study. Indeed, this approach is part of knowledge transfer and will specifically target the technicians of the structures concerned by the study, namely, the Ministry in charge of energy, SONABEL, the municipality of Ouagadougou and its districts or any other relevant public entity. To this end, a restitution session could serve as a capacity building session for employees responsible for monitoring the activity. During this session, the Consultant will describe his methodology, the draft plan of the expected report, the bibliography, the tools and software that will be used to conduct the study, and the input data. As far as the software is concerned, the consultant will provide an instruction to the members of the technical monitoring committee.

VII.2. Obligations of the Consultant

The Consultant shall be fully responsible for the execution of the study, including services provided by its subcontractors. He will provide the different specialists, supporting structures and the necessary logistics both in quality and quantity for the execution of his assignments. The consultant will take all necessary measures to ensure the smooth and timely execution of the activities assigned to him. In addition, he will have to conduct an analysis of the institutional and regulatory framework in order to determine the project’s management and operating entity.

VII. Monitoring of the study

The study will be monitored at two levels:

An internal WASCAL committee will periodically monitor all stages of the study. This committee will discuss with the team of consultants the main assumptions, technical choices, processes and all the technical and socio-economic contours of this study. These stage discussions will prepare the stage meetings planned in the study with all stakeholders of the Government of Burkina Faso.

A national committee will be set up by the Ministry of Environment, Energy, Water and Sanitation and will include all the national agencies and institutions concerned by the project, in particular SONABEL, the concerned municipalities and Ministries etc. This extended committee will participate in milestone meetings and validate the deliverables produced by the consultant.

IX. Application

Interested consultants can apply no later than May 10, 2023 only by electronic means to the following address: tender@wascal.org