442MW solar power project may get ECNEC approval

A proposal for a 442-megawatt solar power project may receive approval at the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) meeting this week.
If approved, the project will be implemented in phases in Rampal, Bagerhat.

The project is estimated to cost Tk 2,502.40 crore. Once implemented, it is expected to increase the supply of environmentally friendly electricity to the national grid, reduce carbon emissions and help lessen Bangladesh’s dependence on imported fossil fuels.

According to Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) data, the project will be built beside the existing 1,320MW coal-fired power plant in Rampal. Land filling, boundary protection and other important site development works have already been completed at the project site. As a result, construction costs and implementation time are expected to be lower than those of a greenfield project built at a new location.

According to BPDB, the proposed solar power project is expected to have a tariff of Tk 6.18 per unit. This is around 43 percent lower than the estimated tariff of Tk 8.87 per unit for the proposed 220MW solar power plant in Sonagazi, Feni.

BPDB Chairman Engineer Rezaul Karim said, "the Planning Commission has already approved the project and a Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) meeting has also been held on the proposal. The solar power plant will be built beside the existing 1,320MW coal-fired power plant in Rampal and its phased implementation is expected to begin in 2028."

BPDB Member (Generation) Md Zahurul Islam said the proposed solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant will be built on 918.5 acres of unused land. The land had previously been acquired for a coal-fired power project. The Power Development Fund will be used to develop the project on the unused land of the Rampal power plant.

BPDB officials said a feasibility study conducted by Infrastructure Investment Facilitation Company (IIFC) found that the use of existing infrastructure would significantly reduce the project’s construction costs. The proposed solar power plant will be connected to the national grid through a new 230-kilovolt transmission system linked to the substation of Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Limited (BIFPCL).

The project is expected not only to increase the supply of clean electricity to the national grid but also to reduce carbon emissions and Bangladesh’s dependence on imported fossil fuels. It is also expected to help reduce environmental pressure on the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest.

The solar power project is also aligned with Bangladesh’s target of meeting 20 percent of the country’s annual electricity demand from renewable energy by 2030. Officials believe the project will also contribute to fulfilling Bangladesh’s commitments under the Paris Agreement, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and implementing the Integrated Energy and Power Master Plan (IEPMP) 2023.

Shafiqul Alam, lead energy analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), said converting land originally designated for a coal-fired power project into a solar power project reflects Bangladesh’s changing energy priorities.

He said the solar project would contribute to the country’s long-term energy security by reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels. At the same time, it would be a positive step towards building a cleaner, more sustainable and resilient power sector.

Meanwhile, under the National Renewable Energy Development Strategy (2026-2030), the government has already launched nationwide programmes to expand rooftop solar power and establish a network of entrepreneurs and service providers in the sector.

-MT