Power-hungry Bangladesh approved 2.19 GW of large-scale PV projects in 2023.

In December alone, Bangladesh’s Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) approved tariffs for seven solar power plants totaling 630 MW. Approvals were granted for 200 MW in November, 310 MW in October, 570 MW in September, 300 MW in August, 66 MW in April, and 120 MW in January 2023. Most of these projects secured a fixed tariff of around $0.10/kWh.

The largest solar plant given approval last year was a 300 MW array, to be set up by a consortium of Saudi-based ACWA Power and locally owned Comfit Composite Knit, Viyellatex Spinning, and Midland East Power.

The second-largest solar power plant secured approval in December. The 240 MW facility will be set up in Mymensingh in northern Bangladesh by a joint venture between Energon Renewables (BD) and PWR Energy Trading LLC.

In September, the government approved a 200 MW floating and ground-mounted solar power plant near the Barapukuria coal mine in Dinajpur district. A consortium of China's Hangzhou Boiler and Max Infrastructure secured approval in October to jointly set up a 180 MW facility in Jamalpur district.

This increase in projects is likely due to new measures that were recently introduced to help domestic independent power producers build and operate new renewable energy plants.

Dipal C Barua, chief adviser of the Bangladesh Solar and Renewable Energy Association, expressed high hopes that green power will have a significant share in country’s total energy mix.

“The government is providing utmost importance to renewable energy in changed global economic scenario,” Barua said.

Barua said that the recently approved solar power plants are well-prepared, and sponsor companies must submit applications for government approval, ensuring successful commissioning.