Photo : Collected
The country's first solar power plant in Sirajganj, with a capacity of 68 MW, has been completed. If everything goes according to plan, the electricity will be supplied to the national grid in April this year.
The government has taken the initiative to produce electricity based on renewable energy to reduce the cost of electricity. As part of this, Bangladesh and China are working on a 500 MW solar power project. As part of the project, the government is going to launch the 68MW plant jointly with China.
Individuals concerned said that as the potential for industry is being created in the agricultural areas of the north, the demand for electricity is also increasing. To meet that demand, the government is increasing the production of electricity based on renewable energy by reducing the dependence on fossil fuels.
Managing Director of Bangladesh-China Renewable Energy Company (Pvt.) Limited (BCRECL) AM Khorshedul Alam told The Daily Messenger, “The Sirajganj Solar Park project is jointly owned by Northwest Power Generation Company Limited from Bangladesh and China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation. We have a plan to generate 500MW of electricity by setting up solar parks in some districts, including Pabna and Kurigram.”
The solar parks are being built on uncultivated land to generate electricity based on renewable energy from several districts, including Sirajganj, Pabna, and Kurigram. To reduce the consumption of foreign currency, the government has taken the initiative to use 40 percent of renewable energy in electricity generation.
As part of this, the Sirajganj 68 MW Solar Park is being built on 214 acres of land in Syedabad as a joint venture of the Bangladesh and China Renewable Energy Company. Where more than four hundred domestic and foreign engineers and skilled workers are working.
The solar panels are being installed on 27,000 pillars lined up on the banks of the Jamuna. Besides, other works, including the control building, officer dormitory, rest house, and security building, are also in the final stage.
Shamim Talukder Labu, managing director of the contracting company Lam Enterprises, told The Daily Messenger, “More than 80 percent of the project has been completed so far. Some 27,000 pillars have been installed, on which more than 150,000 solar panels are being installed. If all goes well, electricity will be supplied to the national grid from the plant by the end of next month.”
Jannat Ara Henry, Member of Parliament for Sirajganj-2 Constituency, said that if the project is implemented, the local economy will prosper along with increasing the speed of work in industrial factories in this region.
She also said that besides the implementation of this 68 MW solar power plant, there are plans to set up more new solar power plants in the vast fields rising up in the Jamuna Char areas.
The construction cost of this newly built solar power plant in Syedabad of Sirajganj has been estimated at $8.77 crore.
Messenger/Fameema
