Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has signed a contract with privately owned Intraco Solar Power Limited for procuring 30 megawatt (MW) solar electricity on Sunday.
The agreement was inked at a ceremony at Bidyut Bhaban in the city.
BPDB Director (public relations) Saiful Hasan Chowdhury said the government, with a view to fulfilling its target of raising the ratio of renewable energy to 10 percent of the total power generation by 2021, has already undertaken various initiatives.
According to the contract, Intraco will implement the project within the next 13 months and start commercial operation of the plant in September 2018.
Speaking at the contract signing ceremony at Biduyt Bhaban in the city, State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid asked Intraco to expedite the project implementation.
“I would request you to complete the project one or two months ahead of the schedule,” he added.
He hoped the Intraco project will be implemented as government-owned financing agency IDCOL has been involved in funding the project.
Intraco managing director Riyadh Ali said his company has purchased 143.3 acres of land in Gangachara upazila of Rangpur for the project.
The solar power company will supply electricity to the national grid within 18 months after the deal.
Intraco Solar Power Limited would construct its solar plant in Rangpur. As per the contract, the BPDB would purchase power from the solar company at the rate of $ 0.16 per unit.
The government has set up the goal of providing electricity to all by 2021 at a reasonable and affordable price. A sustainable social and economic development depends on adequate power generation capacity of the country.
The SHS programme was launched to ensure access to clean electricity for the energy starved off-grid rural areas of Bangladesh. The programme supplements the government’s vision of ensuring ‘Access to Electricity for All’ by 2021.
Source: The Daily Ittefaq
