Consultancy Services for Environmental Study and Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Biochar Production Facility in Vietnam - DFCD

Background

HUSK Vietnam is a climate-focused agribusiness company that develops and deploys innovative biochar-based solutions to improve soil health, enhance agricultural productivity, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Working closely with smallholder farmers and agribusinesses, HUSK integrates sustainable technologies into agricultural value chains to support climate resilience, carbon sequestration, and improved livelihoods.

The Dutch Fund for Climate and Development (DFCD) is managed by a consortium comprising FMO, Climate Fund Managers (CFM), WWF-Netherlands, and SNV Netherlands Development Organisation. DFCD provides finance and Technical Assistance (TA) to enable, mobilize, and scale private sector investment for climate-smart development.

Under the DFCD origination facility, HUSK is implementing an origination project to support the development of “Soil Health through Biochar Fertilizer”, including the assessment and preparation of a biochar production facility.

Objective of the assignment

The objective of this assignment is to conduct an environmental baseline study and preliminary environmental impact assessment for the proposed biochar production facility in Vietnam. The study will generate the environmental data, impact analysis, and mitigation concepts required to support the preparation of the statutory Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in accordance with Vietnamese environmental regulations, including Law on Environmental Protection 2020 and Decree No. 08/2022/ND-CP.

The outputs of this assignment will provide the technical environmental inputs and datasets required for the next stage preparation of the Environmental License.

Scope of work

The Consultant will be responsible for completing the following tasks:

Task 1: Project Review and Regulatory Assessment

• Review available project documentation, including preliminary process design, production capacity, and proposed site layout for the biochar facility.
• Review applicable environmental regulations, standards, and EIA requirements under Vietnamese law.
• Identify key environmental aspects associated with biochar production technology, including potential air emissions, particulate matter, wastewater generation, and solid waste streams.

Task 2: Environmental Baseline Survey

Conduct environmental baseline surveys at the project site and surrounding areas to establish current environmental conditions, including:

• Ambient air quality;
• Surface water/Groundwater quality (if applicable);
• Soil quality;
• Noise and vibration levels;
• Existing environmental and socio-economic conditions in the surrounding area.

Task 3: Identification and Assessment of Potential Environmental Impacts

Identify and assess potential environmental impacts associated with the project during both the construction and operational phases, including:

• Construction phase impacts:
  • Dust emissions from land clearing, earthworks, and construction activities;
  • Noise and vibration from construction machinery;
  • Wastewater from construction activities and worker camps;
  • Construction solid waste and hazardous waste generation;
  • Traffic impacts related to material transport.
• Operational phase impacts:
  • Air emissions and particulate matter from biochar production processes;
  • Dust generation during feedstock handling and biochar storage;
  • Wastewater generation from production processes and domestic use;
  • Solid waste and hazardous waste management;
  • Noise and odor emissions from plant operations;
  • Potential impacts on surrounding communities and environment.

Task 4: Environmental Mitigation and Management Measures

Propose preliminary environmental mitigation measures and environmental management strategies to minimize potential impacts, including:

• Air emission control concepts;
• Wastewater management and treatment approaches;
• Solid waste management measures;
• Environmental monitoring considerations.

Task 5: Preparation, Submission, and Approval for the Environmental Impact Assessment Report

• Prepare the complete EIA report and supporting technical documentation in compliance with applicable regulations;
• Submit and follow up the full EIA dossier to the relevant environmental authorities;
• Provide technical clarification to the EIA appraisal committee when requested;
• Update the EIA report in response to comments from the appraisal committee;
• Support the project owner until the EIA report is formally approved (Approved EIA Decision).

Expected experiences and qualifications

The assignment is open to qualified Consulting Firms or Individual Consultants with demonstrated experience in environmental impact assessment and environmental regulatory processes in Vietnam.

For Consulting Firms:

• Legally registered consulting firm with experience in environmental consultancy services.
• 6+ YOE in conducting and obtaining approval of EIA Reports in Vietnam.
• Proven experience with biochar production facilities/similar agricultural/biomass processing plants is preferred.
• Familiarity with relevant Vietnamese environmental regulations, including the requirements under the Law on Environmental Protection and its implementing regulations.
• Availability of a qualified technical team with expertise in environmental assessment, environmental monitoring, and regulatory compliance.

For Individual Consultants:

• Master’s Degree in environmental engineering, environmental science, or a related field.
• 8+ YOE in environmental assessment or environmental consulting.
• Demonstrated experience in conducting or obtaining approval of EIA Reports in Vietnam.
• Strong understanding of Vietnamese environmental regulations and approval procedures.
• Experience working with government authorities during the EIA appraisal process is preferred.
• Knowledge of biomass and biochar-related project development is preferred.
• Ability to work independently under time constraints, with minimal supervision, while delivering high-quality outputs.
• Extensive hands-on experience working with private companies, cooperatives, and local authorities, with strong stakeholder coordination skills throughout project preparation, permitting, and construction phases.
• Fluency in Vietnamese and English, with excellent technical writing & communication skills.

Submission requirements

Interested Consulting Firms and Individual Consultants are invited to submit the following documents via the instructions in this site.

For Consulting Firms:

• Company Profile;
• List of relevant projects demonstrating experience in EIA services;
• Curriculum vitae (CVs) of key experts proposed for the assignment.
• A completed Due Diligence document, along with all required supporting documents, click https://c.smartrecruiters.com/sr-company-attachments-prod-aws-dc5/58919688e4b0672cc03331a9/b6ebdade-2e08-436d-ab05-4fd01ee27225?r=s3-eu-central-1

For Individual Consultants:

• Updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) highlighting relevant experience;
• Copies of academic qualifications and relevant professional certificates;
• Brief description of relevant assignments related to EIA (1-page);
• A completed Due Diligence document, along with all required supporting documents, click https://c.smartrecruiters.com/sr-company-attachments-prod-aws-dc5/58919688e4b0672cc03331a9/4be7ae22-4f8b-44e6-b173-69af4a1d5bb0?r=s3-eu-central-1

EOIs are accepted until April 15th, 2025.

Selection process

This tender process will take place in two stages. Stage one is an Expression of Interest. Those selected from the Expression of Interest stage will move forward to the Full Proposal Stage and receive a second assignment description ahead of being asked to prepare a more detailed proposal submission for the assignment.

HUSK reserves the right to exclude any EOIs that do not meet the guidelines. Please note that HUSK is unable to provide detailed feedback to those EOIs that are not selected.

Protection of Information

We request that Expressions of Interest responses be free of any intellectual property that the applicant wishes to protect. Should offerors wish to include proprietary intellectual property that they believe would be helpful for HUSK, please note the proprietary nature of such information.

Issuance of this EOI does not constitute a commitment, award, or engagement on the part of HUSK nor does it commit HUSK to any future commitment or engagement. 

Note: HUSK reserves the right to change or cancel this requirement in the EOI/or solicitation process at any time.