Request for proposals

Request for Proposals: Air Quality Modeling of Transport and Power Sector Emissions in India

Reply deadline: March 31, 2020
**Update: The lockdown in India is causing hardship to a number of you and your teams in terms of being able to respond to this RFP on time. We are extending the timeline for submission to Monday, 6th April 10:00 pm IST.**

Contact Persons: Joshua Miller (josh@theicct.org) and Anup Bandivadekar (anup@theicct.org)

Background

In order to reduce air pollution and climate impacts from on-road vehicles, India has adopted policies and targets for promoting the adoption of electric vehicles. The air quality and health effects of large-scale electric vehicle adoption in India depend on the environmental performance of India’s electricity grid over the coming decades.

In view of the accelerating nationwide deployment of electric vehicles, the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) wishes to undertake a study of the potential air quality and health effects of electric vehicle adoption in India under multiple scenarios for the environmental performance of India’s electricity grid.

Objectives and scope of work

Electricity grid emissions scenarios:

The consultant will develop four technology scenarios for India’s electricity grid, reflecting possible evolutions of grid energy-technology mix and environmental performance. These scenarios should be conceptually consistent with the scenario narratives described below. Detailed assumptions for each scenario will be prepared by the consultant and reviewed by the ICCT.

  • REF, or Reference:
    • Assumes coal-fired thermal power plants (TPP) continue to provide the largest share of India’s electricity, followed by natural gas power plants;
    • Low rates of desulphurization and de-NOx technologies on coal TPPs;
    • Limited energy efficiency improvements for coal-fired TPPs;
    • Modest growth in the share of electricity generation from renewables.
  • IEC, or Improved Emission Controls:
    • High rates of desulphurization and de-NOx technologies are achieved for coal-fired TPPs, including retrofit of existing TPPs;
    • Moderate energy efficiency improvements for coal-fired TPPs;
    • Other assumptions are the same as REF.
  • CP, or Coal Phase-out;
    • Progressive phase-out of coal-fired TPPs;
    • Rapid growth in the share of electricity generation from renewables;
    • Limited share of electricity generation from gas power plants;
    • Assumptions for coal TPPs (until phase-out) are the same as REF.
  • COM, or Combined Coal Phase-out and Emission Controls:
    • Progressive phase-out of coal-fired TPPs;
    • Rapid growth in the share of electricity generation from renewables;
    • Limited share of electricity generation from gas power plants;
    • Assumptions for coal TPPs (until phase-out) are the same as IEC.

For each grid scenario, the consultant will obtain ICCT estimates of vehicle electricity consumption in India and estimate corresponding power sector emissions of PM2.5, NOx, SO2, and CO2. The years of analysis will include 2020, 2030, and 2040.

Outputs of this task will include documentation of the grid scenarios and the consultant’s estimates of gridded power sector emissions associated with ICCT estimates of vehicle electricity demand for each analysis year.

Air quality simulations for vehicle and power sector emissions:

The consultant will utilize an appropriate air quality model to evaluate the effects of each vehicle and power sector emissions scenario on ambient concentrations of PM2.5 and ozone in India. The air quality modeling should be conducted at a resolution of 0.5°x0.5° or finer. Results should be reported for the annual average, winter, and summer periods in each analysis year. Similar to the previous task, the consultant will obtain ICCT estimates of vehicle tailpipe and evaporative emissions for each analysis year. The consultant will utilize the estimates of gridded power sector emissions associated with vehicle electricity demand from the previous task.

Outputs of this task will include documentation of the air quality modeling methods; a summary of results including high-resolution figures; datasets of the national gridded concentration results for each scenario, analysis year, period, and ambient pollutant; and estimated population-weighted exposures to PM2.5 and ozone for the national average and for each Indian state and union territory.

Reporting and timeline:

  • The consultant will set up a weekly schedule to update ICCT on their progress. This communication can happen by e-mail or a teleconference as needed.
  • Two weeks after the project start date: The consultant will deliver proposed assumptions for grid emissions scenarios.
  • Four weeks after the project start date: The ICCT will provide estimates of vehicle emissions and electricity demand and responses to the proposed grid scenario assumptions.
  • Eight weeks after the project start date: The consultant will deliver the draft outputs of the first two objective tasks (above), including documentation and spreadsheets.
  • Ten weeks after the project start date: The ICCT will review and provide feedback to the draft outputs.
  • Twelve weeks after the project start date: The consultant will deliver the final outputs of the first two objective tasks (above).

Deliverables:

All deliverables must be completed by the end of twelve weeks after the project start date. The final deliverables of Task Objectives are listed below.

  1. Word document explaining the grid scenarios and power sector emissions modeling, including key data sources, assumptions, and methods.
  2. Spreadsheet containing consultant’s estimates of gridded power sector emissions associated with ICCT estimates of vehicle electricity demand for each analysis year.
  3. Word document explaining the air quality modeling and estimated population-weighted exposures, including key data sources, assumptions, and methods.
  4. High-resolution figures showing the results of the air quality modeling for each ambient pollutant, scenario, and analysis year.
  5. Datasets containing the national gridded concentration results for each scenario, analysis year, period, and ambient pollutant.
  6. Spreadsheet containing estimated population-weighted exposures to PM2.5 and ozone for the national average and for each Indian state and union territory.

RFP guidelines

In addition to the detailed proposal that describes how the consultant is going to implement the project to achieve the objectives outlined above, the RFP responses should address and include the following:

  1. Please provide a brief history of your firm and any parent organization(s) (less than one page).
  2. Please provide brief biographical information (education and experience) of the management group and key professionals that would be assigned to this project.
  3. Describe the various services you have provided to clients in modeling power sector emissions and ambient air pollution in India, or share papers/reports authored by the consultant that are relevant to this work (less than one page).
  4. Describe your firm’s risk management process related to data accuracy, data security, project cost controls, and timeline adherence (less than one page).

Fees

  1. Given the proposed project requirements, what is your proposed fee structure for the project? Please provide a breakdown of ALL fee areas and fee rates by individual process step and deliverable. [Fees should be all-inclusive.]
  2. Describe the frequency and timing of your preferred fee payment requirements.

Terms and Conditions

The written RFP responses and any subsequent bids made during the procurement process will be considered binding commitments by the prospective vendors. ICCT may request additional information or clarification of any obligation if a contract is awarded.

The bidder agrees to be bound by this RFP response for a period of 60 calendar days from the RFP response due date during which ICCT may request clarification or correction of the RFP response for the purpose of evaluation.

The cost of preparing the RFP response is the sole responsibility of the bidder, whether or not any award results from solicitation. Any costs associated with any oral presentations to ICCT will be the responsibility of the bidder and in no way be billable to the project.

ICCT reserve the right to add provisions to the contract consistent with the contractor’s bid and to negotiate with the contractor other additions to, deletions from, and/or changes in the language in the contract — provided that such addition, deletion, or change in contract language would not affect the evaluation criteria set forth herein, or give any bidder a competitive advantage.

Proposal format requirements

Letter of Transmittal

Please submit a transmittal letter, which shall be in the form of a standard business letter on the vendor’s letterhead, signed by an individual authorized to legally bind the vendor, and shall include:

  • The name, title, address, email address and telephone number of the individual(s) who can be contacted during normal business hours for questions regarding the RFP response.
  • Disclosure of any real or potential conflict of interest must be provided based on the firm’s clients, proposals to pending clients, direct business or significant personal relationships.

Attachments

Any relevant supporting information or attachments should be reduced to letter size, and attached to the transmittal letter. Please do not include generic marketing material.

Submit the RFP response package to Joshua Miller (josh@theicct.org) no later than 10:00 pm IST on March 31, 2020. Faxes are not acceptable.

Clean air
India