Bangladesh to build 442 MW solar plant near Rampal coal
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- Bangladesh Power Development Board announced a plan to build a 442 MW solar plant near the 1.32 GW coal‑fired Rampal Power Station, with an investment of about $200 million.
- Bangladesh Power Development Board will fund roughly 15 % of the project from its own resources, while the remaining 85 % will come from the government’s Power Development Fund.
- The solar project is expected to cover about 685 acres and will sell electricity at $0.050 /kWh, a tariff lower than the $0.072 /kWh price of the 220 MW Sonagazi solar plant.
- 230 kV transmission line will be constructed to connect the new solar plant to the nearest substation operated by Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Limited, located 1.5 km away.
- Mostafa Al Mahmud warned that the country’s energy crisis, exacerbated by Middle‑East geopolitical tensions, could have been mitigated with greater renewable investment and urged faster approvals for solar projects.
- Renewable Energy Policy 2025 sets a goal for Bangladesh to source 20 % of its electricity from renewables by 2030 and 30 % by 2040; currently the nation has about 1,699 MW of renewable capacity, of which roughly 1,405 MW is solar.
Why it matters: The lower $0.050/kWh tariff and the project’s large scale will reduce Bangladesh’s reliance on imported fossil fuels, easing the energy‑crisis burden on consumers and helping the government meet its 20 % renewable target by 2030, while the coal sector may see slower growth.
