Antecedentes

The Government of Sudan strategic electrification plan indicates 80% electrification as a target, which translates into a requirement for 12 GW additional electricity generation capacities up to 2020. With the commissioning of the Merowe Dam 1.25 GW hydro-power plant in 2008/09, hydro-electric power generation has become the dominant technology in power generation in Sudan, with a share of over 75% in the electricity mix in 2011. However, the total technically feasible potential for hydro-electric power generation totals 4,920 MW (or 24,132 GWh/year), implying that, in the long-term, the bulk of expansion in generation capacity will come from thermal power plants. Indeed, the long-term development plan observes that 8,675 MW of additional thermal power plants will be needed up to 2030. The technologies for thermal electricity generation have been identified as combined cycle gas turbines (CCGTs), low-sulphur diesel (LSD) generators, and coal-fired power plants. With the decline of national oil production capacity following the creation of South Sudan, this will only exacerbate the country’s energy security problems and lead to rising energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.

The medium-term development plan echoes the trend towards thermal power generation. In June 2011, the Sudan Ministry of Water Resources and Electricity released its Medium Term (2012-2016) Power System Development Plan. It emphasizes least-cost energy solutions towards achieving the Government of Sudan's electricity access targets. These targets and objectives include, among others: (i) an increase in the available generation capacity from 2,232 MW in 2011 (with 2,532 MW installed capacity) to 4,161 MW (with 5,180 MW installed capacity), (ii) increasing the electrification rate from 27% to 45% in the medium term, (iii) raising per capita consumption from 233 kWh to 572 kWh, and (iv) extension of the national grid from 6,246 km to 9,100 km. The Medium Term Power System Development Plan also targets the addition of 551 MW of renewable electricity, including from wind power, to the national mix over the medium-to-long term.

A number of studies confirm that Sudan has considerable wind energy resources, with annual average wind speeds that exceed 5 ms-1, particularly at the areas north of latitude 12 N and along the Nile valley. The wind density in the north part of Sudan, around Dongola, exceeds 400 W/m2 while in Khartoum area it ranges from 285 to 380 W/m2. Studies estimate wind speed in Eastern region to be as high as high > 5 ms-1 and in Northern region to be as high as >4.5 ms-1. In total, there is a potential of 5,000 MW of utility-scale wind energy generation in Sudan related to sites with annual average wind speed above 4.5 ms-1.The main sites for wind energy are identified as: (1) the central Northern part of Sudan with Dongola as its centre; and (2) the Red Sea region, with Port Sudan as its major city.

Although wind energy is mature and technologically viable, there are currently no applications of wind turbines at any scale for the generation of electricity in Sudan. The experience of Sudan with wind turbine technology is limited to small-scale mechanical water pumping.

The key focus of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) project to be prepared by UNDP is to help Sudan understand the planning and operational requirements of wind power, gain experience with installation and grid integration issues, and employ policy options that promote wind energy development within the broader context of low-carbon, climate-resilient development. GEF funding will thereby create the appropriate technological, institutional, policy and capacity environment that will enhance the probability of success of the wind farms planned by the Ministry of Water Resources and Electricity (see below) and establish the pre-conditions for replication elsewhere in Sudan.

The Ministry of Water Resource and Electricity (MWRE) is planning the installation and commissioning of seven utility-scale wind farms between 2012 and 2016, six of which form an integral component of the GEF project. The installation/commissioning time-frame coincides well with the implementation timeline of the GEF project.

The seven wind farms are Dongola (100MW), Nyala (20MW) and five Red Sea sites (total of 180MW). Hence, the Government’s intention is to have a total installed wind capacity of 300 MW, which is expected to produce about 900,000 MWh of renewable electricity annually when all the sites are operational. The cost of the six farms is approximately US$639 million. Advanced negotiations are currently underway between the Ministry of Energy & Dams and private-sector contractors to implement the Dongola wind farm under an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) modality.

In the context of the GEF project, the planned wind farms provide a unique opportunity to start addressing barriers to market development with the view to favoring private investment in wind energy in the medium-to-long term. In order to generate market acceptance at a time when wind technology does not exist in Sudan, it is crucial to first demonstrate the technological viability of wind energy in the local context. Any technological failure at the early stages in wind energy development will only undermine the acceptance of the technology in Sudan, resulting in an unwanted increase in yet more market barriers. Using the favorable conditions generated by the imminent Dongola wind farm to promote wind energy, other – broader – barriers (awareness, capacity, technical, regulatory, policy) will be addressed by the GEF project in order to pave the way for the market development of wind power.  

The baseline wind farms currently face technological barriers, which have not been taken into consideration in their design. If not addressed decisively, these technological barriers will enhance the risk of failure of these demonstration wind farms, thereby decreasing the future acceptance of the technology. In particular, the national grid of Sudan is known to be relatively unstable, with variations in both frequency and voltage. The Ministry of Water Resources and Electricity has experience in synchronizing power generated from different conventional sources that provide base load. However, MED does not have experience in synchronizing the grid with power generated from an intermittent source like wind. Although the power system has improved in recent years, grid stability to accommodate power generated from an intermittent source such as wind is still inadequate. In the baseline situation, no special electronics are anticipated to interface (i.e. synchronize) the output of the wind farms and the sub-stations in order for the electricity generated by the wind farms to have the same characteristics as electricity in the national grid through real-time monitoring of the latter.

A significant proportion of the GEF funding will be allocated as investment in the baseline wind farms in order to enhance their technical performance (particularly in terms of electricity output that has compatible properties with grid electricity) and to support the development of the future Red Sea wind farms.

Deberes y responsabilidades

Scope of Work and Responsibilities:

The preparation of the required documentation for final GEF CEO Endorsement will focus on conducting detailed research to identify technical, regulatory and policy gaps and appropriate responses for grid-connected wind power systems in Sudan, as well as to write-up of the Project Document and CEO Endorsement Request. The study will be conducted taking into account GEF Secretariat, GEF Council and GEF Scientific & Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) reviews and comments on the Project Identification Form (PIF).

Under the overall guidance of the Team Leader of the Energy and Environment Unit of UNDP Sudan Country Office, and in coordination with national consultant(s) and as informed by guidance from the UNDP-GEF Regional Technical Advisor, the International Consultant (acting in his/her individual capacity) will be tasked with the following duties and responsibilities:

Market and policy analysis for grid-connected wind energy applications in Sudan.

• Review and analyze barriers to the effective promotion of grid-connected renewable energy, and wind energy systems in particular;
• Review current policy, institutional and regulatory frameworks (including incentives, financial options and sources of funds) and identify gaps hindering private investment in the power sector, and wind energy in particular;
• Assess existing energy policy and provide guidelines for policy and regulatory reforms needed in the power sector.
• Assess grid power quality and identify support needed for the Ministry of Water Resources and Electricity to better understand the importance of developing a Grid Code and ensuring grid stability;
• Analyze the cost effectiveness of the existing financial policy options in use internationally (portfolio standards, feed-in tariffs, carbon finance, subsidies, energy purchase agreement structure and Public Private Partnership Acts) and identify potential areas for project intervention and support needed;
• Review existing wind-related GIS resources and identify support needed to develop an official wind atlas and GIS system that includes grid mapping (transmission line routes, substations) as well as additional ‘layers’ (geomorphology, elevation, geology, climate, population, protected areas, etc.);
• Assess local technical capacities of government and private sector to undertake wind data analysis, site assessment, grid mapping, design, installation, operation and maintenance of wind farms and capacity development needed;
• Assess technical ability to develop proposals to attract private financing, as well as leveraging novel funding mechanisms under the international architecture for climate change mitigation;
• Identify key project stakeholders and their respective roles in the project implementation;
• Assess existing wind energy education capacities and support needed;
• Work out agreements with project partners (e.g. implementing institutions, project partners and co-financers); obtain letters of co-financing;
• Development of a strategy and a set of measures to remove the identified barriers based on the approved Project Identification Form;
• Draft the situation analysis.

Baseline (Dongola) Grid-Connected Wind Farm:

• Review information relating to Dongola wind farm and identify key areas for intervention, including wind energy-related technology transfer, technical assistance in terms of engineering, and grid interface electronics and equipment;
• Undertake a baseline study of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The study will identify and justify the selection of business-as-usual conditions and scenarios for estimating project-related GHG emission reductions associated with grid-connected wind energy application;
• Update the grid emission factor previously calculated under UNDP’s CDM capacity development project;
• Finalize the scoping of the Dongola project (site selection and pre-feasibility analysis) to be implemented within the GEF Full-Sized Project (FSP).

Monitoring & Evaluation, Information Dissemination and Replication Plan:

• Develop a lesson-learning and replication strategy, and a strategy to integrate project results and lessons learnt into the planned – larger-scale – wind farms in the Red Sea.

Project Scoping and Definition

Define the full-sized project scope and logical framework based on the results of the baseline analysis and approved Project Identification Form (PIF):

• List of priority barriers to technology transfer and market development for grid-connected wind power generation systems;
• A set of viable outcomes, outputs and activities that constitute the most effective response to the identified barriers to technology transfer and market development for grid-connected wind power systems;
• Justified and confirmed choice of project sites and types of demonstration projects;
• Scope for technology transfer and market development for wind power systems;
• Social, economic and financial sustainability of proposed project activities;
• Cost-effectiveness analysis to identify the most effective project alternative;
• Detailed incremental cost analysis to justify GEF intervention in the project;
• A set of indicators (tons CO2e avoided, adoption of policy frameworks, allowing renewable generators equitable access to the grid, and kW generated from renewable sources) to track the project’s progress and effectiveness, baseline and target values on indicators;
• Costing of expected project outcomes and outputs, co-financing sources and co-financing commitments in compliance with the GEF incrementally principle;
• Description of local, national and global environmental benefits;
• Project M&E plan, including a set of indicators to track the project’s progress and effectiveness, baseline and target values on indicators;
• A logical framework with indicators for the project implementation plan;
• Learning and replication strategy.
• Revise the elaborated project scoping to address the comments/suggestions made by UNDP/GEF RTA and HQ, GEFSec, and other reviewers;
  - Finalize and submit to UNDP the Request for GEF CEO Endorsement document, the UNDP Project Document, the UNDP Environment & Social Safeguards summary form, and the GEF Tracking Tool.

Methodology of Work

The methodology of work will consist of the following:

• Desk review of relevant project documentation and background information prepared by a local consultant and the UNDP team in Sudan;
• Direct consultations with relevant ministries, institutions and other local stakeholders, including time spent in Sudan;
• Iterative document-writing process, acting on early-draft comments and feedback from the UNDP Country Office, the UNDP Regional Technical Advisor, and national stakeholders.

The overall duration of the tasks has been estimated to not exceed 50 days extended over a maximum of 4 months, including two missions to Sudan and related desk-work to pre-review the required project documentation and to finalize the project documentation.

Schedule of Implementation:

Task and Duration                  

• Analysis of baseline and draft project logframe: 20 Working Days;
  
• 2 Draft request for CEO Approval and UNDP/GEF FSP Project Document:15 Working Days;             
  
• 3 Final Request for CEO Approval and UNDP/GEF FSP Project Document:15 Working Days.

Total of 50 days spread among 4 months.

Reporting and Deliverables

All deliverables should be submitted in one original and two copies, including two soft copies via e-mail. The format shall be Microsoft Word.

Deliverable Deadline

• Deliverable 1: Analysis of the baseline and draft project logframe. 30 September 2013;
• Deliverable 2: Draft Request for CEO Approval and UNDP Project Document. 30 November 2013;
• Deliverable 3: Final Request for CEO Approval and UNDP Project Document . 31 January 2014.

Competencias

• Computer skills (e.g. Microsoft including MS Project, MS-Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Access);
• Energy system analysis (technical/financial) and energy modeling systems is desirable;
• Programme development, monitoring and evaluation and  resource mobilization.

Core competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Advocates and promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of the UN;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism ;
  
• Facilitates and encourages open communication in the team, communicating effectively.
  

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

• Postgraduate university degree in Engineering or Energy, with significant renewable energy competence.

• At least 7 years of relevant experience in the energy and development sector, with a good knowledge of international best practices in sustainable energy;
• Good knowledge of international climate finance (CDM, NAMAs, etc.) and national financing mechanisms (e.g. feed-in tariffs, net-metering) is desirable;
• Prior experience of multilateral agency development projects, ideally in Sudan or the region, is highly desirable.
• Familiarity and experience with UNDP and GEF project preparation is highly desirable;

• Fluency in English language, knowledge of Arabic language is an assets but not required.