A similar global tender had attracted only three firms last year. The Government retendered project after examining all three proposals.

Interested firms were required to submit their proposals by 24 March, since which the Ministry of Water Resources has been evaluating the proposals. The Government is seeking to develop the storage project under build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) and firms that have purchased the Rs 20,000 (US$500) RFP forms so far are Green Ventures Renewables, IL&FS Nepal Infrastructure Development Company and Sino Hydro Corporation.

Among the interested firms from India are: Tata Power, AES, Athena Projects, Continental Construction, JSW Energy, KSK Energy Ventures, Maytas, Moser Baer, Nagarjuna Construction, Puducherry Power, Sun Group, Tehri Hydro, Triton Energy, and Universal Empire. China’s Gezhouba Group and Chengdu Hydroelectric Investigation & Design Institute have also purchased the RFP. Finally, Hillsdale Group of Alexandria, USA, and Reykjavik Energy Invest of Iceland have also purchased the forms.