BOALMARI, Faridpur, November 5, 2026 — Janata Jute Mills Limited has inaugurated a 17.84 MWp renewable energy project, supported by the Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) with financing assistance from Germany’s development bank KfW, marking a major step towards clean energy use in Bangladesh’s industrial sector.
The installation at the factory in Boalmari includes rooftop, ground-mounted and floating solar systems, complemented by an 8.36 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS).
The project is expected to generate around 18,700 MWh of clean electricity annually and reduce carbon emissions by approximately 13,960 tonnes a year.
German Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr Rüdiger Lotz attended the inauguration as chief guest. Other participants included KfW Director Dr Kirk Mildner, IDCOL Head of Renewable Energy Md Enamul Karim Pavel and Akij Bashir Group Managing Director S K Bashir Uddin.
According to the project organizers, Janata Jute Mills has become the first jute company globally to operate on renewable energy and Bangladesh’s first carbon-neutral company. The achievement is expected to set an example for cleaner industrial operations and strengthen the global jute industry’s sustainability efforts.
Speaking at the event, Ambassador Lotz described the project as an example of successful German-Bangladesh development cooperation. He said Germany would continue supporting Bangladesh’s climate goals through investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Pavel said strong private-sector demand had prompted IDCOL to revise its target to finance 1,000 MWp of rooftop solar capacity by 2030. IDCOL has so far financed approximately 370 MWp, with a project pipeline exceeding 500 MWp.
Bashir Uddin said the initiative reflected Akij Bashir Group’s commitment to sustainability and carbon neutrality. He noted that the group had joined the RE100 initiative, committing to source all its electricity from renewable energy. The group has partnered with IDCOL on 16 solar projects with a combined capacity of 157.44 MWp.
