The government is going to install solar panel-based power projects with 152 megawatt production capacity to supply power to the national grid.
The projects will mitigate the reeling power crisis by enhancing the generation of renewable energy in the public and private sectors.
“We have taken initiatives to reduce dependency on fossil fuel-based electricity generation by developing seven grid-tied solar park projects in the government-owned non-agricultural land,” said Power Division Joint secretary Siddique Zobair on July 26.
The power generated from the solar park will be directly fed into the grid on commercial basis, he said, adding that no battery backup will be required for this.
The grid-connected solar panel-based electricity generation would help mitigate carbon emission and these projects could be expected to be operational by 2018, added Siddique.
The state-owned Power Development Board (PDB) under the Power Division will implement the projects.
The projects are namely Dhorola 30mw Solar Park in Kurigram, Rangunia 60mw in Chittagong, Sarishabari 3mw in Jamalpur, Irshadi 2mw in Pabna, Aricha 1.5MW in Manikganj, Sirajgang 1mw and Gonggachara 55MW in Rangpur.
“We are going to implement the projects as part of our renewable energy programme and we hope the power generated from there will help the green energy initiative,” PDB Director (renewable energy and research and development) Md Shafique Uddin told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
“Dhorola Solar Park proposal will be placed before the next cabinet committee meeting on the government purchase while the PDB will sign a contract about the Sarishabari 3MW Solar Park in Jamalpur soon,” he said.
“We are now conducting a pre-feasibility study to determine the overall cost of Raozan project and its power tariff,” Shafique said.
He said the pre-feasibility study was scheduled to be completed by October and a tender would be invited subsequently to select a private sponsor for the project.
The other works for the projects include land requisition and development of project proposal followed by the signing of the contract.
The PDB director said initially the cost of each unit solar power would stand at about Tk30, but it would come down after the implementation of the large-scale projects.
Once implemented, the PDB will purchase electricity from the private sector solar parks.
The projects would require around Tk4,000 crore to install solar panel-based electricity parks, he said.
The Asian development Bank has already assured us that they will provide financial support, said Shafique.
As part of the efforts to cut down carbon emissions under a green energy initiative, the PDB has decided to set up a 7.5mw solar power plant in Rangamati’s Kaptai Hydro Power Station area.
The PDB is currently producing 2MW power from solar panels installed on the rooftops of many of its buildings.