Serbia invites consultants for a project to promote the use of biomass

The Ministry of Mining and Energy of Serbia announced an invitation for independent consultants on the project for promoting the use of biomass in district heating and cooling (DHC) systems.

The program called “Promotion of Renewable Energies: Developing the Biomass Market in Serbia” was launched to facilitate a switch from fossil fuel to more environment friendly solutions. It is funded through a credit line of German Development Bank KfW and a donation of the Swiss Government and SECO.

Planned project measures comprise main investments – boilers, heat pumps, secondary equipment, civil works, complementary investment measures, training and overall consulting services. In the course of the program and foreseeable future, up to 15 DHCs may join the program.

The selected consultant – ideally an engineering company – is expected to assist the Ministry and DHCs with the preparation and monitoring of the investments. Additionally, the consultant is expected to perform comprehensive institutional measures to the DHCs (such as management support, business policies and corporate planning, financial planning and monitoring, customer relations management) and provide technical assistance and training. The implementation phase is estimated to be five years.

The lead consultant has to show an annual turnover of EUR 1.500.000 over the last three years, while the associated partners have to present evidence of an annual turnover of at least EUR 100.000. The prequalification proposal should be submitted to KfW and the Serbian Ministry of Mining and Energy by January 26.