The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is seeking expressions of interest from qualified consultants (firm) to develop a model for delivering a sustainable; affordable; and reliable heating and cooling system in Kazakhstan using 5th Generation Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps (NGSHP) technology.A. Background District heating systems in Kazakhstan; are outdated; often gas or coal-fired; and need upgrading. Gas supplies are running low; making new gas heating systems impractical. This has led to unsafe; unreliable; and expensive alternative heating methods. Regulatory and operational deficiencies further exacerbate the inefficiency of the district heating sector. Governments are initiating programs to modernize the district heating sector; improve energy efficiency; and explore renewable energy sources.Geothermal technologies range from deep geothermal for electricity generation to shallow systems using ground source heat pumps (GHP) for heating and cooling. Shallow geothermal; deployable almost anywhere; offers efficient heating and cooling without relying on critical metals. When connected on a shared thermal network; GHPs can provide even greater efficiency. Geothermal heating is considered the most energy-efficient and environmentally safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. With about 50% of global energy used for heating and cooling; shallow geothermal systems hold significant potential for decarbonization. They are being scaled up in regions like the US; EU; China; and Turkey but are less common in the Middle East and Central Asia.Kazakhstan relies heavily on individual gas boilers for heating in residential and public buildings; particularly in areas without access to centralized district heating systems. Centralized district heating systems are prevalent in urban centers like Almaty; Astana; and Karaganda; primarily based on Soviet-era infrastructure.In major cities; district heating systems supply heat and hot water to a significant portion of the population. For example; in Almaty; the district heating network serves a large number of residential and public buildings; with an estimated 60-70% of urban households connected to these systems. These networks often rely on large; centralized coal or gas-fired boilers; many of which are outdated and inefficient.Heating accounts for a substantial share of energy use in Kazakhstan. In public buildings; such as schools and hospitals; heating can represent 60-80% of total energy consumption; depending on the region and building type. In the residential sector; heating is estimated to account for approximately 60-65% of final energy consumption; reflecting Kazakhstan's cold climate.Kazakhstan has a large number of residential; commercial; and public buildings; many constructed during the Soviet era. Around 80-90% of buildings use individual boilers or decentralized heating systems outside major urban centers. The efficiency of these systems is generally low; with many boilers being over 10-15 years old and lacking modern technology. Buildings often have poor insulation; leading to high energy intensity and heat loss.Kazakhstan's district heating systems are primarily managed by state-owned or municipal entities; with limited foreign involvement. No specific private operator has been documented in Kazakhstan's heating sector based on available data.5th Generation Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps (NGSHP) are innovative heating and cooling systems that use low-temperature ground loops shared among multiple buildings. Unlike earlier systems; they operate at ambient temperatures; reducing thermal losses and requiring minimal energy for temperature adjustments. Their efficiency lies in harnessing renewable thermal energy; decentralizing heating and cooling; and enabling simultaneous heating and cooling exchanges between buildings. This approach minimizes energy waste; cuts carbon emissions; and reduces operational costs.IFC is developing a project aimed at creating a model to deliver a sustainable; affordable and reliable heating and cooling system in Kazakhstan using NGSHP for heating and cooling. B. The Objective of the Assignment The purpose of this assignment is to define the development of a feasibility report that provides detailed analysis of the technical and cost-benefit analysis important for the deployment of a utility scale (3;000-30;000 housing/commercial units) networked surface geothermal system in Kazakhstan using GHP. This work package will be instrumental in advancing to the following projects phases which would entail the procurement of design engineering services and eventually construction services to deploy the network. The assignment is expected to have the following workstreamsC. Scope of WorkThe Consultant is expected to support IFC in proposing and assessing the feasibility of deploying networked geothermal systems of a particular site/location in Kazakhstan.The assignment will be to conduct an analysis across two feasibi