The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) invites expressions of interest from consultants to support and monitor its Sustainable Energy Financing Facilities (SEFF) program in Slovakia. Responses are due May 11.
EBRD this month approved a total of 75 million euros (US$100 million) for the government of Slovakia to increase energy efficiency, cut consumption, and generate power from renewable sources such as hydropower. (HNN 4/23/07) EBRD approved a credit line of 60 million euros (US$80 million) under the SEFF program.
The SEFF program promotes energy efficiency and renewable energy including run-of-river hydropower. It provides technical assistance for market demand studies, credit lines to participating banks for lending, technical assistance for implementation, and performance fees.
The bank seeks expressions of interest in separate solicitations for a project consultant and for an independent energy expert.
The project consultant is to assist sub-borrowers in screening and preparation of sustainable energy projects and monitor performance of the facility. The independent energy expert is to ensure that energy efficiency and renewable energy projects conform to the plan on which the projects are based, that projects are eligible, and loans have been validated.
Loans will be provided to private Slovak banks for on-lending to private companies, housing organizations, and individual borrowers for relevant projects. Loans to Slovak private companies will be used for energy efficiency measures, such as upgrading and modernization of production facilities, and small-scale generation of electricity and heat from renewable sources.
The EBRD financing is being complemented by a 15 million euro (US$20 million) grant from the Bohunice International Decommissioning Support Fund. That fund was established in 2001 to assist with decommissioning the Bohunice nuclear power plant. Contributors include the European Community, Austria, Denmark, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Expressions of interest, in English, are to be submitted by May 11, on the Internet via EBRD’s eSelection site, https://eselection.ebrd.com/suite. Consultants are to be selected from a short-list.
For information, contact Dirk Plutz, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; (44) 20-73386219; E-mail: [email protected].
