POC Evangela Kunene, USTDA

1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1600

Arlington, VA 22209-3901

Tel: (703) 875-4357

Fax: (703) 875-4009



***Please do not contact contracts office***



Proposal Submission Place:

His Excellency Gul Sherali, Minister

Ministry of Energy and Industry

22 Rudaki Avenue, 734025

Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Phone: +992-37 221-69-97

Fax: +992-37 221-82-81



Coal Mining Component of the Proposed Fon Yaghnob Coal-Fired Power Plant.



The Grantee invites submission of qualifications and proposal data (collectively referred to as the "Proposal") from interested U.S. firms which are qualified on the basis of experience and capability to develop a Feasibility Study to determine the availability and mine-mouth cost of coal supplies at Fon Yaghnob, as well as the most efficient method of mining these deposits. The Feasibility Study will also help to determine the economic viability of constructing a coal-fired power plant at or near Fon Yaghnob.



To offset seasonal drops in the production of hydroelectricity, the Government of Tajikistan (GOT) has identified the expansion of coal-based electric power as a top priority. The development of Tajikistan’s coal resources will help to promote long-term economic growth by allowing Tajikistan to generate enough electricity to both fully satisfy year-round domestic demand and to export surplus electricity to energy deficient markets in South Asia. In particular, the GOT has decided to construct a 1500 MW coal-fired power plant at or near the Fon Yaghnob coal fields. The Feasibility Study will determine whether the coal deposits at Fon Yaghnob are of sufficient quantity and minability to warrant the construction of such a power plant.



With proven and forecast reserves totaling more than 900 million tons, the Fon Yaghnob coal mine, located along the Zeravshan River in the Ayni District of the northern Soghd Region, is thought to be the largest coal deposit in Tajikistan. However, large scale mining of coal deposits at Fon Yaghnob will be difficult due to the remoteness of the site, the mountainous nature of the terrain, and the inclination of the coal seams (greater than 45° slope in some places). A lack of flat land, smoke stack issues (i.e. keeping out inversion), and a lack of roadways and other supporting infrastructure will also make it difficult to locate a power plant nearby, and may require that the coal be transported as far as 150 KM to a suitable site. Coal supplies of approximately 4.34 million tons per year would be required to generate 1500 MW of electricity. Current production at Fon Yaghnob is about 25,000-30,000 tons per year.



The Terms of Reference for this Feasibility Study includes:



Task A – Revise Proposed Draft Work Plan;

Task B – Review and evaluate available data and information concerning Fon Yaghnob coal reserves and current mining operations;

Task C – Investigate coal mining operations elsewhere that are comparable to the conditions at Fon Yaghnob;

Task D – Develop a concept for mining the Fon Yaghnob reserves at an output level required to supply a power generation plant with a capacity of 1500 MW;

Task E – Develop the mining plan, capital requirements, and mine-mouth coal production costs for the supply of coal to the power generation plant;

Task F – Preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment;

Task G – Development Impact Assessment; and

Task H – Final Report.



The U.S. firm selected will be paid in U.S. dollars from an $875,378 grant to the Grantee from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).



A detailed Request for Proposals (RFP), which includes requirements for the Proposal, the Terms of Reference, and a background definitional mission report are available from USTDA, at 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1600, Arlington, VA 22209-3901. To request the RFP in PDF format, please go to:



https://www.ustda.gov/businessopps/rfpform.asp



Requests for a mailed hardcopy version of the RFP may also be faxed to the IRC, USTDA at 703-875-4009. In the fax, please include your firm’s name, contact person, address, and telephone number. Some firms have found that RFP materials sent by U.S. mail do not reach them in time for preparation of an adequate response. Firms that want USTDA to use an overnight delivery service should include the name of the delivery service and your firm's account number in the request for the RFP. Firms that want to send a courier to USTDA to retrieve the RFP should allow one hour after faxing the request to USTDA before scheduling a pick-up. Please note that no telephone requests for the RFP will be honored. Please check your internal fax verification receipt. Because of the large number of RFP requests, USTDA cannot respond to requests for fax verification. Requests for RFPs received before 4:00 PM will be mailed the same day. Requests received after 4:00 PM will be mailed the following day. Please check with your courier and/or mail room before calling USTDA.



Only U.S. firms and individuals may bid on this USTDA financed activity. Interested firms, their subcontractors and employees of all participants must qualify under USTDA's nationality requirements as of the due date for submission of qualifications and proposals and, if selected to carry out the USTDA-financed activity, must continue to meet such requirements throughout the duration of the USTDA-financed activity. All goods and services to be provided by the selected firm shall have their nationality, source and origin in the U.S. or host country. The U.S. firm may use subcontractors from the host country for up to 20 percent of the USTDA grant amount. Details of USTDA's nationality requirements and mandatory contract clauses are also included in the RFP.



Interested U.S. firms should submit their Proposal in English and Russian directly to the Grantee by 4:00PM LOCAL TIME (DUSHANBE TIME), October 31, 2008 at the above address. Evaluation criteria for the Proposal are included in the RFP. Price will not be a factor in contractor selection, and therefore, cost proposals should NOT be submitted. The Grantee reserves the right to reject any and/or all Proposals. The Grantee also reserves the right to contract with the selected firm for subsequent work related to the project. The Grantee is not bound to pay for any costs associated with the preparation and submission of Proposals.