The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has launched a tender for 19 solar plants with a combined capacity of 1,780 MW.

There will be 15 projects, each with 100 MW of capacity, as well as four 70 MW installations. All of the plants will be built near substations.

The 70 MW projects will be built in Iswhardi in Pabna, Chakaria and Pekua in Cox's Bazar, and Sitakunda in Chattogram.

The 100 MW solar arrays will be built in Anwara in Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Gopalganj, Ghatail in Tangail, Pirganj in Thakurgaon, Faridpur, Mirsarai in Chattogram, Mongla in Bagerhat, Mirzapur in Tangail, Moulavibazar, Rajbari, Rupsha in Khulna, Lalmonirhat, and Shambuganj in Mymensingh.

The BPDB will purchase electricity from the projects for periods of 20 years, but will not hold any stakes in them. Local and foreign investors will provide funding and land for construction. The deadline for bid submissions is March 31, 2025.

Golam Mortuza, director of IPP Cell-1 at the BPDB, told us that the government is eager to raise green power generation. That is why tenders are being launched one after another over a short period of time, explained Mortuza.

In mid-January, BPDB launched another 500 MW solar tender. Bangladesh currently has 1.55 GW of clean energy capacity, including 1.26 GW of solar.