Chuadanga, August 19, 2026: Bangladesh has launched its first scientifically designed, grid-connected agrivoltaics pilot project in Chuadanga, marking a significant step towards expanding clean energy generation while preserving valuable agricultural land.
The 49.6 kWp agrivoltaics project was inaugurated by the Power Division in Chuadanga Sadar on Wednesday. The initiative combines solar power generation with agricultural production on the same land, allowing farmers to cultivate crops beneath and around solar panels.
The pilot is being implemented under the Green Energy Transition – Policy Advisory Partnership (GET-PAP) project, co-funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). GIZ Bangladesh is implementing the project in partnership with the Power Division.
Green chillies are currently being cultivated at the demonstration site, while other suitable seasonal vegetables and rice are planned for cultivation in the coming season.
The project is receiving technical guidance from Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE), which is supporting modelling, technical design and installation, as well as capacity building for the development of similar projects in Bangladesh.
Fraunhofer ISE is a pioneer in agrivoltaics and has more than three decades of experience in solar energy research and development. Its involvement is expected to help establish the technical and institutional ecosystem required for the wider adoption of agrivoltaics in Bangladesh.
Ahead of the inauguration, hands-on training was organized for local farmers, teachers, researchers, officials from engineering, procurement and construction companies, and system operators. The training covered shade-tolerant farming practices, solar system maintenance and digital data collection.
The capacity-building program aims to equip farmers and industry stakeholders with the practical knowledge required to operate, maintain and replicate agrivoltaics systems based on scientific evidence.
Policymakers also visited the demonstration plot as part of the inauguration program. The visit is expected to contribute to developing a roadmap for expanding agrivoltaics and formulating national guidelines for the technology.
Muhammad Khalequzzaman, Joint Secretary of the Efficiency and Conservation Division under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, said the dual use of land could help Bangladesh achieve its clean energy goals without compromising agricultural production and food security.
“By using land for multiple purposes, Bangladesh can contribute to achieving its sustainable energy goals without compromising agricultural productivity and food security,” he said.
Ulrich Kleppmann, Head of Development Cooperation at the Embassy of Germany in Dhaka, and Tanzina Dilshad, Program Manager for Green Inclusive Development at the Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, also addressed the event.
The pilot project brings together international development partners, public financing institutions and local organizations. Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) provided 80% of the project’s installation cost through capital grant financing sourced from Germany’s KfW Development Bank.
Local civil society organization Wave Foundation is the project sponsor. It provided equity financing and is hosting the installation at its solar irrigation pumping site. GIZ and Fraunhofer ISE are providing technical assistance.
The data generated from the Chuadanga pilot—including crop yields, solar generation and operational performance—will be used to inform national policies and guidelines on agrivoltaics.
Bangladesh aims to generate 20% of its electricity from clean energy sources by 2030. Experts and policymakers believe that combining agricultural production with solar power generation could help address the country’s limited availability of land for large-scale renewable energy projects.
Developing standardized technical, agricultural and operational frameworks will be important for establishing viable business models and scaling up agrivoltaics across the country.
The GET-PAP project is part of the Team Europe Initiative in Bangladesh, which brings together more than €3.7 billion from the European Union, its member states and financial partners to support Bangladesh’s transition towards a green and resilient economy.
In November 2025, the project also supported the formation of a National Working Group on Agrivoltaics and Floating Solar, marking an important step towards promoting renewable energy solutions that make more efficient use of Bangladesh’s limited land resources.
