China to fund 450 MW of solar capacity in Bangladesh

The two nations have signed an MoU to set up the capacity in the north of Bangladesh along with 50 MW of wind power facilities in the south, near the port of Payra. China will supply an estimated $500m with the host nation freeing up land for the projects.

August 29, 2019 pv magazine

Bangladesh has only 600 MW of renewables capacity at present.

Image: Encavis AG

The Chinese government will finance 500 MW of renewable energy generation capacity in One Belt, One Road member state Bangladesh, 450 MW of it solar.

The two countries have signed a memorandum of understanding for a joint venture company to develop solar capacity in Bangladesh’s northern districts of Pabna, Sirajganj and Gaibandha plus wind power generation near the port of Payra, in the south.

Bangladesh’s North-West Power Generation Company Limited and China’s National Machinery Import and Export Corporation will establish Bangladesh-China Power Company (Pvt.) Limited Renewables to develop the projects, with Bangladesh said to be providing land and China an estimated $500 million investment.

A leap forward for renewables

North-West Power chief executive AM Khurshedul Alam told pv-magazine a feasibility study for plants in Pabna and Payra has been started, with the former set to host a 60 MW solar facility on 205 acres of khas – government-owned, non cultivated – land.

The engineer said he was hopeful the new renewables capacity would be online within three years.

The projects would almost double Bangladesh’s current clean energy capacity, which stands at 601 MW. Almost 368 MW of that figure comes from solar, of which 71.86 MW is grid connected.

Although the 20 MW solar facility in the Teknaf sub-district which came online in September is the largest solar project in the country to date, the Bangladesh government has approved plans for 1 GW of renewables capacity with projects up to 200 MW in scale.

The south Asian nation aims to produce 10 per cent of its electricity from renewables by next year.

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