Development of a Deep Decarbonization Roadmap of the Cement and Concrete Industry in Ethiopia.

The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), on behalf of the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), invites qualified and interested firms to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to participate in an upcoming solicitation for the provision of technical assistance for Development of a Deep Decarbonization Roadmap for the Cement and Concrete Industry in Ethiopia. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), on behalf of CTCN, seeks to engage a qualified consulting firm to provide the technical assistance requested and endorsed by the National Designated Entity (NDE) of Ethiopia. The objective of this assignment is to develop and operationalize a comprehensive and endorsed national decarbonization roadmap for the cement and concrete industry in Ethiopia built on an effective Monitoring, Verification and Enforcement (MV&E) Framework and Digital Platform to track cement data and decarbonization actions. As of 2024, 12 cement manufacturers are operating in Ethiopia that have a combined installed production capacity of approximately 17,000,000 tonnes per year. National demand is estimated at 12,000,000 tonnes. However, fluctuations in production and demand have led to temporary supply shortages and price volatility. The growing demand for cement and concrete is largely driven by rapid urbanization and large-scale infrastructure projects. To meet this demand, new cement plant projects and modernization investments are underway to enhance production capacity. One notable development is the Lemi National Cement Factory, inaugurated in September 2024, which has added 15,000 tonnes per day to the national supply, aiming to stabilize prices and reduce shortages. Despite these developments, industry-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been steadily increasing without effective tracking or systematic reduction strategies. Ethiopia’s cement sector also faces several environmental challenges, including outdated infrastructure, insufficient environmental safeguards, and weak governance in monitoring, evaluation, and enforcement. To address these challenges, Ethiopia has developed a Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) 2020 - 2050, which targets net-zero emissions by 2050. In 2021, a number of energy audits of cement plants were conducted in Ethiopia through a sector reform performance contract (SRPC) funded by the European Union. These audits have resulted in plant-specific energy conservation measure implementation frameworks. However, the implementation of these measures has been slow due to a lack of coordination between key stakeholders (public, private, finance), missing incentives and limited access to financing. The cement industry urgently requires a national decarbonization roadmap that outlines effective technological and policy measures and facilitates their implementation through strategic stakeholder engagement and resource mobilization. Expected Outputs include: 1. Project Management (Mandatory Output). 2. Coordination of the Project Working Group 3. Cement and Concrete Inventory and MRV System. 4. Cement and Concrete Decarbonization Technology and Policy Review. 5. Development of a National Cement and Concrete Decarbonization Roadmap. Detailed requirements will be provided in the solicitation documents to be issued following the closure of this REOI. Specific Requirements/Information The Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) is the Operational arm of The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and hosted by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The mission of the CTCN is to promote accelerated development and transfer of climate technologies at the request of developing countries for energy-efficient, low-carbon and climate-resilient development. CTCN provides technical assistance to the countries using its own funds ( which it receives through voluntary contributions of donor) or through the other funding sources specifically the Green Climate Funds (GCF) through the Readiness Programme. The requests for Technical Assistance (TA) are submitted to the CTCN by the National Designated Entity (NDE) of the respective country. CTCN has developed a response plan and expects to implement the technical assistance. In case you are not a CTCN network member yet, you may apply for this REOI and subsequent solicitation (Request for Proposal), subject to the condition that you submit your completed application for CTCN membership before the proposal submission closing date, which will be communicated in the subsequent Request for Proposal in due course of time. Furthermore, the contract award – should your proposal be selected – is conditional to your application for CTCN network membership being approved by CTCN management. The requirement to join the CTCN network is only relevant to the main bidder and not subcontractors. Please find more information to join CTCN Network at- https://www.ctc-n.org/network The purpose of this REOI is to identify suitable firms who may be invited for the Request for Proposal after the REOI is closed. In addition to CTCN registration, all applicants should also be registered (free of charge) at United Nations Global Marketplace (www.ungm.org). IMPORTANT: Please note that this REOI is not an invitation for submission of tenders. Its purpose is to identify companies that would be interested and eligible to participate in the solicitation when issued. UNON will examine the outcome of this request for EOI and will consider those companies that have expressed their interest . UNON reserves the right to change or cancel the requirement at any time during the EOI and/or solicitation process. Thus, submitting a reply to this Request for EOI does not automatically guarantee your company will be considered for receipt of the solicitation when issued.