Rancon Infrastructure and Engineering Limited has launched Bangladesh’s first solar-powered cold storage facility in Chattogram, marking a notable step toward wider use of renewable energy in the country’s industrial sector.
The rooftop solar system, completed in about two months at a cost of nearly Tk 1.3 crore, began operation in April. It has a generation capacity of 296 kWp DC and 250 kW AC, with 482 solar panels installed across nearly 28,000 square feet of rooftop space.
Company officials said the cold storage requires around 2,200 kilowatt-hours of electricity a day to preserve up to 500 tonnes of fish.
On sunny days, the solar system can meet almost all of its daytime power demand. Monthly electricity bills have reportedly fallen from around Tk 6.72 lakh to Tk 2.59 lakh, saving about Tk 4.13 lakh each month.
The project is also expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 210 tonnes a year. During periods of low consumption, surplus electricity is supplied back to the national grid.
