Malaysian developer Ditrolic Solar Group has announced that it has commissioned the largest solar plant in Bangladesh. The project has a capacity of 73.1 MW and is located in the Mymensingh district, 100 km north of Dhaka. The solar plant is signed under a 20-year power purchase agreement with the Bangladesh Power Development Board. It was built with an investment of around $90 million and will supply power to the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh at an unspecified tariff.
Ditrolic Solar Group reported that to develop a project of this scale, they worked very closely with the stakeholders which include the local communities and authorities to address environmental and social issues during the development and construction period. With the commissioning of the plant, the country’s installed solar capacity has exceeded 370 MW. Bangladesh has immense potential for future development; annual existing solar radiation is more than 1900 kWh per m2, whereas average daily solar radiation varies within the range of 4-6.5 kWh per m2.
In February 2021, the Bangladesh government announced new development plans to improve the share of wind and solar power in the country. The government is also pushing for commercial renewable energy projects to be implemented by the private sector, while different ministries and agencies would implement social projects.
The government also announced that will install solar systems in rural health centres, remote educational institutions, union-level e-service centres, remote religious establishments, off-grid railway stations, and government and semi-government offices in off-grid areas.
