Consultant Sought To Study Strengthening Of The Andekaleka Hydropower Dam In Madagascar

Wedoany.com Report-Nov 14,  The consultancy services, which are to be funded by the African Development Bank, will include presenting technical scenarios, based on the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach, with economic analysis, aimed at assessing the viability and economic profitability of the project. The selected consultant will also be required to produce an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) and a Resettlement Action Plan (RAP), if applicable. These studies will be carried out using a participatory approach to ensure full consideration of the specific needs and concerns of women and men as well as the opinions of people who may be affected by the project. In addition, they must ensure the integration of environmental, social and gender clauses and specifications in the tender document of the works, in order to guarantee an inclusive and equitable approach throughout the implementation of the project. The assignment is planned for the period from February to July 2025.

The Andekaleka hydropower dam, on the Vohitra river near Andekaleka in the region of Atsinanana, is owned and operated by the island’s state power utility Jirama. It comprises a 10 m-high, 125 m-long concrete gravity diversion dam and a 91 MW hydropower station, comprising two 29 MW units commissioned in 1982 and a 33 MW unit that came online in 2012. Water is diverted from the Vohitra into a 4 km-long headrace tunnel to an underground power station before being returned to the river via a 500 m-long tailrace tunnel. The drop in elevation between the dam and power station affords a head of 235 m. The dam and power station were funded by the World Bank at a cost of around US$ 142 million.