Bangladesh has approved a 442 MW grid-connected solar power project with eight hours of battery energy storage, marking a major step in the country’s efforts to expand renewable energy and improve electricity supply.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, approved the project recently. The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) will implement the project at an estimated cost of Tk25 billion (about US$200 million).
The solar plant will be built in Bagerhat district in southwestern Bangladesh, adjacent to the 1.32 GW Rampal coal-fired power plant. About 371.7 hectares of land originally earmarked for a second unit of the coal-fired facility will instead be used for the solar project.
The project is scheduled to be implemented between September 2026 and March 2029 and is expected to become Bangladesh’s largest solar power installation.
Planning Commission officials said the project would increase the share of renewable energy in Bangladesh’s power mix, reduce dependence on fossil-fuel-based generation and help lower greenhouse gas emissions.
