The World Bank has approved funding for the extension of the Mount Coffee Hydro Power Plant (MCHPP), in Liberia, through its regional project (RESPITE: Regional Emergency Solar Power Intervention Project), which Financing Agreement was signed on January 31, 2023. The MCHPP extension consists of the expansion of the existing 4x22 MW Mount Coffee hydroelectric plant to increase its total electrical capacity to 132 MW. The expansion will incorporate the two additional water intakes that were added to the plant during the rehabilitation of Mount Coffee (2014-2017) and expand the existing plant capacity by adding two new turbines and generator units. The existing dam structure will not be altered.
The project is expected to generate on average 430 GWh of electricity annually. Due to its run-of-river nature, the Mount Coffee plant can generate at full capacity for about 6 months a year and with a reduced capacity (between 8 and 88 MW) for about 4-5 months a year.
Please find attached a background on the Mount Coffee Hydro Power Plant as the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) gears up to host a Market Sounding forum on this Hydro Power Plant Extension Project.
We would appreciate a response from you on or before May 17, 2023, expressing your interest. The date for the Market Sounding forum/presentation is Friday, May 19, 2023.
Please send your response to lecprojects@lecliberia.com.
Mt. Coffee Hydro Power Plant Extension
Background:
The Mount Coffee Hydro Power Plant (MC HPP) is located on the St. Paul River about 25 kms upstream of Monrovia. The St. Paul River is 485 kms long and its source is the Diani River in South-eastern Guinea.
The existing Mount Coffee Hydropower Plant is a run-of-river project made up of a 22.9 m high dam, one spillway equipped with 10 radial gates and a power intake structure with 6 independent bays. Four of the six bays are connected to independent steel lined penstocks embedded in reinforced concrete, the two remaining bays are temporarily closed by concrete bulkheads. Each penstock is connected to a 21.6 MW Francis unit (22 MW Francis turbine and 21.6 MW generator). The four Francis units are housed in a reinforced concrete powerhouse. Their draft tubes are connected to a 700 m long tail water channel.
In recent years development of Liberia’s electricity sector has suffered important setbacks and a global economic slowdown. The electricity access rate in Liberia remains very low with only 2% of the population serviced in rural areas. However, Liberia has important objectives in the electrification of the country and in the development of renewable energies. Therefore, the Mount Coffee extension project will contribute to achieve the national energy production objectives. The MCHPP is owned and operated by LEC (Liberia Electricity Corporation). LEC is a public utility created in 1973 by the Government of the Republic of Liberia through an act of legislature with a mandate to produce and supply economic and reliable electric power to the entire nation, while at the same time maintaining financial viability.
Scope of Extension:
The World Bank has approved funding of the extension works of MCHPP through its regional project (RESPITE: Regional Emergency Solar Power Intervention Project) whose Financing Agreement was signed on 31 January 2023. The MCHPP extension consists of the expansion of the existing 88 MW Mount Coffee hydroelectric plant to increase its total electrical capacity to 132 MW. It will incorporate the two additional water intakes that were added to the plant during the rehabilitation of Mount Coffee (2014-2017) and expand the existing plant by adding two new turbines generator units. The existing dam structure will not be altered.
The project is expected to generate on average 430 GWh annually. Due to its run-of-river nature, the Mt Coffee plant can generate at full capacity about 6 months a year and with a reduced capacity (between 8 and 88 MW) for about 4-5 months a year.
The overall layout of the extension works appear in the following satellite image and the main components of the extension are shown in the following figure. Indicatively, the scope of the extension is composed of about 80% electromechanical works and 20% civil and earth works.
Indicative Timeline:
While acknowledging that the MCHPP Extension timeline will depend to a large degree on the procurement strategy, here below is an indicative timeline:
Objective of this Briefing:
The Owner, LEC, aims at providing the market and stakeholders early notice of the planned extension. The Feasibility Study and Environmental and Social Impact Assessment are almost complete. LEC is now undergoing a strategic assessment of execution modalities and procurement approaches. It invites interested hydropower contractors, suppliers, and engineering firms to share interest in one or more of the following delivery options and to attend a conference to discuss this extension and execution modalities. The shortlisted execution modalities are the following:
- Traditional Delivery: detailed design followed by construction and supply/Install in one Package using the FIDIC Red Book
- Design-Build in one Package for the full set of components using the FIDIC Yellow Book
- Turnkey or EPC in one Package for the full set of components using the FIDIC Silver Book
- Multiple Packages separating civil and earth works from the electromechanical components using for each Package
- The Traditional Approach; and/or
- The Design-Build Approach; or
- The Design-Build Approach for Civil and Earth Works and the World Bank’s Plant, Supply and Installation Approach for Electromechanical components.
Contacting LEC:
Interested firms are kindly to write to LEC sharing their views and preferences no later than 23 April 2023 at the following email address: lecprojects@lecliberia.com. This email can also be used to address any questions, clarifications, or suggestions concerning MCHPP Extension. LEC will consolidate all received questions and publish answers to them online with notification to all firms who write to LEC on this email address. Expressions of interest or views and preferences will be treated in confidence; however, expressing interest as requested is not mandatory and does not in any way affect the right of a firm to participate in downstream procurement proceedings.
Preliminary Conference Date and Location:
LEC will host a conference on 26 April 2023 welcoming all interested firms to discuss this extension and its execution modalities. The conference will be held online (link to be shared in due course).
Disclaimer:
This Briefing reflects a draft scoping of the MCHPP Extension as well as the likely procurement approaches; both of these are subject to change. This market sounding exercise is neither a pre-qualification nor a bidding exercise. It is part of the market analysis efforts made by LEC and not a part of any downstream procurement process. Hence, the participation of firms in this exercise is not mandatory; is not a pre-requisite for downstream procurement steps; and does not guarantee success in participating in such downstream steps. Participation in this exercise and associated event is at the sole responsibility and cost of participants.