Photo: Messenger
Bangladesh and China are working on a solar power project on the banks of the Jamuna River in Sirajganj to reduce cost from renewable energy. The first power plant of this project in Sirajganj has almost been completed. If everything goes well, the project stakeholders hope that the production will start in June which will be supplied to the national grid.
Solar panels are being lined up and installed on high pillars on the fallen pasture land on the west bank of the Bangabandhu Bridge. The land under the panels is now fully agricultural friendly. Seasonal crops can be cultivated on this land.
According to the Solar Park Project, 27 thousand pillars have been installed on 214 acres of land on the banks of the Jamuna River in Syedabad Union of Sadar Upazila in Sirajganj. Powerful solar panels are being installed on this pillar. Bangladesh-China Renewable Energy Company is implementing the project costing 8 crore 77 lac US dollars. From here, 68 MW of electricity will be supplied to the national grid. To reduce the pressure on energy import, a total power generation target of 500 MW has been set in the country. This new project will facilitate the establishment of industrial plants in the district.
The project cost is estimated at USD 87.71 million (approx Tk 921 crore at the contract dollar exchange rate of Tk 105). The jointly financed power plant is owned 50 percent by the state-owned Northwest Power Generation Company and the other half is owned by Chinese state-owned China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC). Seasonal cultivation can also be done on this fodder land. The implementation of the solar power plant is almost at the final stage. According to the project source, electricity is expected to be connected to the national grid from this power plant in early June.
Shamim Talukder Labu, Managing Director of Lam Enterprises, a Bangladeshi contracting company, said, ‘The workers are working day and night. Already 80 percent of the project has been completed. Various seasonal vegetables will be cultivated below due to installation of solar panels on tall pillars in the center. There will be electricity and production and crops can be cultivated. If all goes well, electricity will be supplied to the national grid from here by the end of next (June) month.’
Managing Director of Bangladesh-China Renewable Energy Company AM Khorshedul Alam said that Sirajganj Solar Park project is jointly owned by Northwest Power Generation Company Limited and China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation. He said that apart from Sirajganj, the plan to generate 500 MW of electricity by setting up solar parks in some districts including Pabna and Kurigram is going on.
Member of Parliament for Sirajganj-2 (Sadar-Kamarkhand) Constituency Jannat Ara Henry said that if the project is implemented, the solar power plant will increase the work speed of industrial factories in the region and the local economy will prosper. Along with that, there is a plan to set up more new solar power plants in the vast pastures rising up in the Jamuna.
Messenger/Fameema
