The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) is preparing to float tenders for setting up 10 grid-connected solar power plants in the private sector, each with a capacity of 50 MW, totaling 500 MW.
According to official sources, the move came against the backdrop of the interim government's decision not to sign any further contract under the Enhancement of Power and Energy Supply Act (Special) Act, 2010.
As a result, the future of 34 proposed private-sector grid-connected solar power plant projects, for which the BPDB had previously issued Letters of Intent (LoI) under the previous Awami League government, has become uncertain.
The interim government's Energy Advisor Dr. Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan announced the decision soon after assuming office at the Power and Energy Ministry. He said all future projects will be implemented through an open tender process.
This decision, however, put the private sponsors, who pursued the 34 solar projects, in great trouble as they had already spent a huge amount of money to procure land and also to get the LoI.
In such a situation, they expressed their interest in getting these projects through a competitive bidding process and getting the contract through open tender.
