Individual Consultant - Tfer Dam (Environment Consultant)

The OPEC Fund for International Development (the OPEC Fund) is a multilateral development finance institution, founded in 1976. The organization was established with a distinct mandate: to drive development, strengthen communities and empower people. The OPEC Fund’s work is people-centered, focusing on financing projects that meet essential needs, such as food, energy, infrastructure, employment (particularly relating to MSMEs), clean water and sanitation, healthcare and education. OPEC Fund’s vision is a world where sustainable development is a reality for all.

The OPEC Fund is the only globally mandated development institution that provides financing from member countries to non-member countries exclusively. The organization works in cooperation with developing country partners and the international development community to stimulate economic growth and social progress in low- and middle-income countries around the world.

Further information about the OPEC Fund can be obtained from its web site: https://opecfund.org/ 

Background

Morocco has experienced steady economic growth over the past two decades, supported by infrastructure investments and sectoral reforms. However, the country remains highly vulnerable to climate variability, particularly in the water sector, which is critical to its agricultural productivity and broader economic stability.

Rainfall in Morocco is highly variable, ranging from 50 mm in the arid south to 800 mm in the north. Renewable water resources are projected to decline from 730 m³ to 500 m³ per capita by 2030, well below the UN’s water stress threshold. Agriculture accounts for the majority of water use, and despite improvements in urban water access, the sector faces growing challenges: increasing water deficits, deteriorating water quality, unsustainable groundwater abstraction, and more frequent droughts and floods.

To address these issues, the Government of Morocco is implementing a national water strategy focused on inter-basin transfers, desalination, and modern hydraulic infrastructure. In this context, the Government has requested the OPEC Fund to finance the construction of the Tfer Dam on the Loukkos River in Larache Province (the “Project”). The Tfer Dam will provide a transferable volume of 100 million m³/year and a storage capacity of 900 million m³ to strengthen the water supply of Tangier and surrounding communes. It will also contribute to flood protection, reduce sedimentation in downstream infrastructure, and support hydro-agricultural and hydroelectric development. Hydropower capacity may be developed at a later stage.

In this context, the OPEC Fund for International Development seeks an environment specialist (the “Consultant”) to provide consultancy services, whose primary role will be to support the Fund’s team in reviewing the Project's environmental and social aspects. The consultant will also be responsible for reviewing the work of the E&S consultant, as well as the Project rationale, scope, cost, schedule, procurement plan, implementation arrangements, risks, and mitigation measures, all of which are crucial for the Project's success and for meeting the required standard for processing OPEC Fund financing.  

Scope of services

The Tfer Dam is a roller-compacted concrete (RCC) gravity dam to be constructed in Northern Morocco, with a maximum height of 79.2 m, crest length of 380 m, and a compacted concrete volume of 458,000 m³. The reservoir will have a total storage capacity of 900 million m³ and will provide a transferable volume of 400 million m³/year from the Laou and Loukkous basins. The dam will secure water supply for Tangier, Rabat, and Beni-Mellal, support agricultural development, reduce sedimentation in the downstream Oued El Makhazine Dam, and protect against floods.  This is considered a Large Dam under the ICOLD and World Bank standards.

The overall objective of the consultancy is to ensure a high level of preparedness of the aforementioned Project. In particular, the Consultant will review the work of the E&S consultancy firm, existing project documentation/studies, collect additional data and undertake additional assessments, to ensure that the Project meets the OPEC Fund’s Environmental & Social Governance requirements.  Specifically:

1. Review the assessment of the E&S consultancy to ensure documents prepared for the Tfer Dam against the OPEC Fund ESG Policy.

2. Prepare any additional instruments needed to close identified gaps and deliver a lender-grade E&S package for the Tfer Dam.

The consultant will perform the following tasks and activities, working closely with and advising the OPEC Fund team throughout the project:

I.    Review and Oversight:
a.    Review ESIA, geotechnical investigations, hydrological studies, and detailed engineering designs.
b.    Assess compliance with E&S policy (OPEC Fund and World Bank). Advise on necessary modifications to meet required standards.

II.    Review
a.   Verify the Gap Assessment Report provided by the E&S consultancy.
b.   Review and Provide Inputs to the Climate Risk Assessment and model developed by E&S consultancy, as well as recommendations for the ESIA, ESMP and Dam Safety Plan. 
c.   Review and provide inputs to supplementary instruments (Biodiversity management plan, Resettlement Action Plan, Restoration plan, Labour Management Procedures with workers’ grievance mechanism, Dam Safety Package, etc).
d.   If required, provide training to local staff on instrumentation maintenance and data interpretation.  

III.    Construction Phase Monitoring
a.   Conduct on site visit if needed to assess implementation quality and adherence to protocols.
b.    Review contractor plans and ensure implementation of E&S measures.
c.   Monitor instrumentation installation and verify operational readiness.

IV.    Capacity Building
If needed, organize training sessions for government agencies and dam operators on E&S management.

V.    Final E&S Package 
Based on the above assessments and analyses, review and provide inputs to the Dam Safety Assessment Report, including recommendations for operational safety and long-term monitoring, in accordance with the OPEC Fund’s requirements.

The Consultant shall liaise with the parallel Technical Specialist, E&S consultancy, and Financial Analyst, share all relevant datasets and draft findings, and avoid duplicating analyses assigned to the other party.

Qualifications and Experience

• Postgraduate degree in Civil Engineering, Environmental Management or a related field
• At least 15 years of relevant professional experience in Environmental engineering. Proven track record of working on large and complex dam projects, including embankment dams, concrete gravity dams, and hydropower facilities
• Extensive MDB experience: Minimum 10 years as an Environmental Expert/Panel of Experts member, or equivalent, for World Bank, ADB, AfDB, or similar.
  Familiarity with MDB safeguard frameworks (e.g., World Bank ESF ESS4, ADB Safeguard Policy Statement) and their technical guidelines on E&S.
  
• Knowledge of French and Arabic are considered an asset due to the project location. 

The Proposal, as well as all related correspondence exchanged by the Consultants and OPEC Fund, shall be written in English.

Interested consultants should submit proposals by email only to tenders@opecfund.org no later than 15:00h on October 16, 2025 (Central European Summer Time).

Any questions are to be directed to procurement@opecfund.org. All questions submitted to and answers of OPEC Fund will be shared with contractors that have received the request to submit proposal.

For more information visit the OPEC Fund Procurement website under: https://opecfund.org/procurement/bidding