Saudi’s ACWA Power To Set Up 1000 MW Solar Power Facility In Bangladesh

Authorities in Dhaka stated that Bangladesh was likely to resolve its energy crisis by building a 1,000-megawatt photovoltaic plant in partnership with a Saudi power company.

Bangladesh, which relies on imported liquefied petroleum gas, has been facing an energy crisis over the past few months.

The agreement was signed by the Bangladesh Power Development Board, a ministry under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, and Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power for the establishment of a 1,000-megawatt, solar power facility in South Asia.

He estimated that the project would include up to five power stations, would cost approximately $3 billion, and would take less than a year to complete.

It takes very little time to build solar power plants. These solar plants can be put into production if everything goes according to plan.
The authorities are currently looking for suitable land to establish a solar farm.

Hossain stated that it could be on public land, or ACWA Power may also suggest private land. “Based on this, we will conduct feasibility studies of the project.”

This facility will also assist Bangladesh in reaching its goal of producing 40% of its energy renewable by 2041. The country has a total installed capacity of 25,700 megawatts for electricity generation. However, only 3% of the country’s power generation mix is renewable.

Dr. SM Shams, Director of the Institute of Energy at the University of Dhaka.

“It will be very beneficial for Bangladesh if we can secure the Saudi investment in renewable energy. This project will not only help Bangladesh achieve its clean energy goals but also increase its energy resilience.

The government has had to resort to power cuts every day since mid-July due to high global prices resulting from Russia’s war with Ukraine. Insufficient power has forced industries to be idle for hours every day, preventing them from running their operations.

Around 80% of Bangladesh’s population of 168 million was without electricity in October after a grid fault. This occurred when more than one-third of its gas-powered units ran out of fuel.

Shams stated, “Considering the current situation, it’s difficult for fossil fuel to be imported from foreign countries.”
“If we can produce our own energy from renewable sources such as sunlight and wind, it is always a positive because we don’t need to import fossil fuel. It’s also environmentally friendly.