The Department of Electricity Development has issued a notice today, Tuesday, to sell licenses of certain hydropower projects to the private sector through a bidding process.

The department has invited letters of interest (Expression of Interest - EOI) from Nepali companies and joint ventures interested in developing hydropower projects located in various districts across the country.

According to the notice published on Tuesday, the department has invited proposals to develop 14 hydropower projects under the Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model. The department stated that these projects will be developed in accordance with the Public-Private Partnership and Investment Act, 2018, and its regulations, 2020.

According to the notice, the total 14 projects are spread across districts including Humla, Jumla, Bajura, Darchula, Dadeldhura, Myagdi, Rupandehi, Solukhumbu, and Rolpa. The capacity of these projects ranges from approximately 1 megawatt to 53 megawatts.

Projects listed include Humla Karnali, Inku Khola, Upper Chameliya, Kawadi Khola, Java Khola, Myagdi Khola, and Budhi Ganga small hydropower projects.

EOI Submission Deadline and Procedure

Interested and eligible applicants must submit their letters of interest (EOI) by 12:00 noon on January 16, 2026. According to the notice, the EOIs will be opened at the department at 1:00 PM on the same day.

A non-refundable fee of NPR 150,000 must be deposited into the government revenue account for the EOI. The required documents can be obtained free of charge from the department or through its official website.

According to the Department of Electricity Development, the evaluation of EOIs will be based on technical capacity (30%), financial capacity (40%), and project development experience (30%).

The government has initiated this process to accelerate hydropower development by increasing private sector participation. It is expected to boost energy production as well as contribute to local employment and regional development.

Hydropower projects called for

- Humla Karnali Hydropower Project - 61.02 MW (Humla)

- Inku Khola Hydropower Project - 21.4 MW (Solukhumbu)

- Upper Chameliya Hydropower Project - 53.05 MW (Darchula)

- Kawadi Khola-1 Hydropower Project - 33.3 MW (Humla and Bajura)

- Kawadi Khola Hydropower Project - 30 MW (Humla and Bajura)

- Jugada Hydropower Project - 1.03 MW (Bajura)

- Jawa Khola Hydropower Project - 15.20 MW (Jumla)

- Myagdi Khola Hydropower Project - 10.2 MW (Myagdi)

- Budhi Ganga Small Hydropower Project - 10.85 MW (Bajura)

- Rupsagadh Hydropower Project - 8.625 MW (Dadeldhura)

- Lungri Khola Hydropower Project - 9 MW (Rolpa)

- Bheri Khola Hydropower Project - 4.1 MW (Jumla)

- Nyaurgad Hydropower Project - 4.018 MW (Jumla)

- Datigad Hydropower Project - 2.52 MW (Dadeldhura)

Jalasarokar