UNDP Jobs - 54998- Provision of Individual Services for a Technical C

Provision of Individual Services for a Technical Consultant: Technical Study and Development of a Renewable Energy Grid Interconnection Code for Lebanon - LEB/CO IC/42/15

Location :

Beirut, LEBANON

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

02-Apr-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Twenty (20) working days spread over the period of Eight (8) Months.

Languages Required :

Arabic English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

Twenty (20) working days spread over the period of Eight (8) Months.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The United Nations Development Programme, in partnership with the Ministry of Energy and Water, has initiated the fourth phase of the CEDRO (Community Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Demonstration Project for Lebanon) Programme (CEDRO 4) funded by the European Union. The CEDRO 4 project includes several sustainable energy projects that are designed to promote related renewable and energy efficiency systems.

In parallel, another nationally executed project has been initiated in this field with the Ministry of Energy and Water (MoEW) in coordination with the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC): the Small Decentralized Renewable Energy Power Generation Project, or DREG, is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

Both projects are collaborating with MoEW and LCEC to undertake the needed assessments of renewable energy sources in order to support the Government of Lebanon’s pledge to reach 12% renewable energy targets by 2020. The LCEC supports the Government of Lebanon to develop and implement national strategies that promote the development of efficient and rational uses of energy and the use of renewable energy at the consumer level.

This work is the first step in assessing the baseline existing conditions of the Lebanese network and its ability to reliably absorb RE sources in the areas they are expected to be installed, and recommendations on the necessary next steps with respect to actions and reinforcement of the national grid are to be detailed.

Duties and Responsibilities

The tasks mentioned below shall be performed in close cooperation with the Ministry of Energy and Water, Électricité du Liban, LCEC, and the UNDP DREG and CEDRO projects It is understood that the Consultant shall perform all the services/work as necessary to fulfill the objectives of the Consultancy Contract, joining forces with the Coordinating Expert who will be tasked with gathering necessary data and mitigating legal and administrative issues.

The interconnection of renewable energy power generation plants with the grid, especially those of large capacity, is not regulated in Lebanon, neither technically nor legally. The objective of the required work is to elaborate binding guidelines and requirements, i.e. a RE Code, to connecting renewable energy power generation plants (>1 MW) to the grid, knowing that the code, or elements of the code, should be elaborated such that it can be tailored to the Lebanese case and enable the safe RE penetration on a project basis.

As such, the selected individual will be responsible for providing the services outlined below:

Task 1. Assess the current situation of grid

List data required to evaluate current status of the grid;
Assess data gathered from EDL and other relevant sources with the help of the Coordinating Expert;
Report any missing data and the reason for its unavailability.

Task 2. Assess situation of existing large RE plants connected to the grid

Assess data related to existing large RE plants, gathered from EDL and other relevant sources with the help of the coordinating expert;
Report any missing data and the reason for its unavailability;
Validate interconnection of the existing RE plants with the grid, reporting any flaws/issues that have been suffered in the past, present, or that could potentially happen in the future.

Task 3. Assess situation of future potential large RE projects to be connected to the grid

Assess data related to future projects, in close cooperation with the Coordinating Expert;
Validate the interconnection of these future projects (assuming all possible scenarios for the grid in the future), reporting any potential problems and issues (if any).

Task 4. Develop RE-specific grid interconnection code

Elaborate general technical requirements and instructions to connecting large RE power generation plants to the grid, taking into consideration the variety of technologies and geographic locations in the field;
Develop framework guidelines that can be applied by EDL to elaborate a code for each RE project in the future, along with a technical and legal template for future projects;
Formulate a checklist to be used by EDL when checking RE projects that will be interconnected with the grid;
Assume multiple scenarios for the grid (24h electricity vs increased blackouts vs status quo) and allow for the necessary provisions in the code.

Task 5: Conclusions and recommendations

Draw conclusions regarding current status of the grid and the interconnection with the existing RE plants;
List estimations and foreseen results of interconnecting new RE plants in the future;
Provide a list of missing data, the availability of which is crucial.

Provide general recommendations to be followed when connecting new RE plants to the grid, as well as for the elaboration of project-basis interconnection codes.

For additional information, please refer to Annex I – Terms of Reference.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Functional Competencies:

Advanced level of communication skills including proficiency in the Arabic and English Languages;
Excellent knowledge of the Lebanese energy sector;
Strong analytical and report-writing skills;
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
Commitment to team and cross-disciplinary work;
Emphasis on delivery of results and reacts well to constructive criticism.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree (Master or above) in electrical engineering or related field;
Major or specialization in power grids, renewable energy, policy or related field is an asset.

Experience:

Relevant experience of not less than 10 years including experience in working and collaborating with various government agencies or interdisciplinary team;
Experience in the Lebanese grid is highly desired and will be considered as an asset.

Languages:

Advanced level of communication skills including proficiency in the Arabic and English Languages.

Kindly refer to the Individual Consultant Procurement Notice and all related Annexes by visiting the below link:

http://www.lb.undp.org/content/lebanon/en/home/operations/procurement/

Please make sure to submit all the requested documents/information; otherwise, your application will be considered incomplete.