REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

Operation, Maintenance and Customer Management of Lofa County Hybrid Mini Grid

Reference No: RREA/LIRENAP/O&M-01

Issue Date: February 20, 2025

Closing Date: March 6, 2025

1. Background

The Government of Liberia has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Liberia Renewable Energy Access Project (LIRENAP). The project is being implemented by the Rural and Renewable Energy Agency of Liberia (RREA), an autonomous agency of the Government of Liberia with mandate to secure modern energy access for all in Liberia. For details on the RREA, please check https://rrealiberia.org/new/.

A component of LIRENAP appertains to decentralized electrification in Lofa County, Liberia, which mainly involves the construction of the Solar Power Plant mini-grid with the following characteristics: (i) 5.0 MW solar plant with a 7.0 MWh lithium-ion battery energy storage system, (ii) a 1.8 MW back-up diesel power plant; (iii) 135 km of 33 kV distribution lines; (iv) 235 km of low voltage distribution lines; (v) at least 10,317 service connections to provide access to electricity for about 50,000 people, including small businesses, associations, and public institutions in Lofa County, Republic of Liberia.

Objective(s) of the Assignment

The overall objective of this assignment is to operate and maintain the Lofa County hybrid mini-grid and its infrastructure for a period of 10 years with possible extension of up to 20 years, ensuring high-quality service with a minimum of 16 hours/day of operation for the first 18 months and 24 hours/day thereafter, maintaining an average service availability index (ASAI) of over 95. At the end of the contract, the firm will transfer assets back to RREA. Additional duties include paying government fees through an affermarge arrangement, managing repairs and replacements, and fulfilling obligations outlined in Liberia’s utility regulations and mini-grid codes.

• Description of General Requirements

The private firm’s responsibilities will include but not be limited to the following:

• Obtain required operation licenses from Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission pursuant to the Electricity Mini-grid Code of Liberia (access here: Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission | LERC)
• Operate and maintain the mini-grid and its associated infrastructure
• Carry out repairs, major rehabilitations, replacement of parts for all assets in line with an approved business plan
• Carry out studies to justify the necessity of expansion, renewal and extension of generation and distribution assets,
• Commercially operate the mini-grid including the exclusive right to charge, collect revenues from customers and cover the cost for major rehabilitations and replacement of assets in line with an approved business plan,
• Develop and implement an Operational Environmental and Social Management Plan (O-ESMP) to ensure compliance with environmental, health, safety, and social safeguard measures throughout the operation and maintenance of the mini-grid as the World Bank Standard.
• Pay to relevant government institutions required fees, levies, and taxes as per law,
• Mobilize financing (equity or debts) for working capital,
• Transfer all mini grid assets back to RREA at the end of the O&M period.
• Submission of Expressions of Interest

The RREA now invites qualified firms (“Operator”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services.  Interested Firms should provide information and documentary evidence to demonstrate that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. The shortlisting requirements are:

1. Core line of business and years in business: 
   1. The firm shall be registered/ incorporated as a firm with core business in the field of the assignment.

• Qualification and Experience of the Firm: 

2.  Firm shall be well versed with a minimum of 10 years of operational and maintenance experience as either the sole operator or a primary consortium partner for at least three hybrid mini-grids. These mini-grids should include   solar systems, with a total capacity of at least 2.0 MW, and/or serving a minimum of 6,000 clients.
3. Proven ability to operate and maintain hybrid systems that combine solar, battery, and diesel technologies. The firm should have solid experience working within Sub-Saharan Africa, A demonstration of the successful completion of at least two similar assignments in the region will be an added advantage

• Technical and managerial capability of the firm:
  • Operational and Technical Proficiency:

Extensive experience in Power Quality and Load Management for mini-grids.

Expertise in managing Customer Care and Marketing for mini-grid systems, ensuring client satisfaction and efficient system utilization.

• Demonstrate ability to address and manage Power Theft and Commercial Losses effectively, minimizing losses and ensuring sustainability, experience in Investing in Mini Grids in developing countries, particularly in contexts where financial and technical challenges are prevalent.
•  Institutional and Managerial Strength:

1. The firm should demonstrate that they have a reputation for excellence, supported by a strong institutional capacity, technical expertise, and a robust managerial framework.
2. Evidence of a high-quality management system, supported by a team of competent technical staff and the financial soundness necessary to support large-scale operations.
3. Financial Capability:
4. Demonstrated capacity to secure working capital, with at least US$ 1 million available for project initiation and operation.

• Environmental and Social Requirements:

Interested firms must demonstrate experience in integrating environmental and social sustainability into mini-grid operations, including compliance with regulations, stakeholder engagement, waste management (particularly for lithium-ion and diesel residues), Occupational Health and Safety, gender and social inclusion, and the integration of climate-resilient measures.

To demonstrate their qualifications and experience in meeting the above shortlisting/selection criteria, Consultants are requested to submit, as a minimum, the supporting documentation listed below. 

1.  The firm’s company brochures (or link to website) and including the core areas of business.
2. Company information: name, status, address, telephone number, facsimile number, year of establishment, contact person for the Project) number of permanent staff and partners, fields of expertise.
3. Details of most relevant projects undertaken for the specified years above, including value of previous services and value, closed area, location, number of staff involved in the contract, name of the Client, name of partners for contract execution and share of services, contract commencement and completion dates, a brief description of the contract and the above Environmental and Social information.
4. Letters of recommendation from previous Employers.
5. RREA reserves the right to request the firm for verification of any submitted document/information.
6. A firm can only use its own qualifications and experience and not of its parent, sister, or subsidiary companies or its employees. The firm’s incorporation/trade/registration documents are issued by the concerned government authority of the country of the firm.
7. The firm must not exceed 7 MB in submitting to expression of interests

Key Experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage. 

The RREA now invites eligible Firms with required technical and financial capacities to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Firms must provide information indicating that

An Operator will be selected using the Quality and Cost-Based Selection (QCBS) method based on the World Bank’ Procurement Regulations, September 2023.

Further information and the detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be obtained electronically at the following email addresses and Website, from Mondays to Fridays, from 0900 to 1600 hours GMT:

Email: [email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected]              Website: www.rrealiberia.org

Expression of Interest clearly marked Services for the Operation, Maintenance and Customer Management of Lofa County Hybrid Mini Grid, must be delivered in a written form (in electronic/mail copy) to the address below, on or before 4:00 p.m. Local Time, on March 6, 2025.

1. Attn: Samuel Bocay Nagbe Jr.
2.           Executive Director
3.           Rural and Renewable Energy Agency
4.           LEC Sub-station, Newport Street
5.           1000 Monrovia 10, Liberia
6.           Email: samuelnrrealiberia.org
7. Electronic submission should also be copied to the following addresses:
8. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected],[email protected],[email protected]

Only shortlisted firm will be issued the Request for Proposals.