The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has launched a tender for consulting services for a power system expansion project.

The South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Power System Expansion Project plans to build more than 200 kilometers of power transmission lines and substations along the Kaligandaki corridor in the Himalayas and Marsyangdi-Kathmandu route in central Nepal.

More than 1,000 kilometers of power distribution lines in the eastern, central, and western parts of the country will also be built or upgraded.

The project will involve the construction of small hydroelectric power plants, minigrid-based solar, and solar-wind hybrid energy systems, in a bid to bring affordable renewable energy to remote areas.

The government of Nepal is receiving grant assistance from Asian Development Bank to fund the project.

According to tender documents, the NEA is seeking an international individual consultant with solar and battery energy storage system experience.

The deadline for expressions of interest is Feb. 27, 2024. The tentative commencement date for consultants is April 1, 2024.

Nepal had installed 93 MW of cumulative solar capacity by the end of 2021, according to figures from the International Renewable Energy Agency.