Another utility scale solar power plant has come online in Bangladesh as the government presses ahead with an ambition to generate 10% of the nation's electricity from renewables.
The 35 MW Spectra Solar Park Limited joint venture, formed by Bangladeshi company Spectra Engineers Limited and Hong Kong-based Shunfeng Investments Limited, has achieved grid connection in Manikganj district, 85km west of Dhaka.
The plant, funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), German development lender KfW and the Canadian Climate Fund for the Private Sector in Asia, has started supplying electricity to the grid and is expected to begin commercial operation this week.
The ADB in June signed off a $17.7 million loan package with the Spectra Solar Park JV to finance the project and make it the first private-sector solar plant funded by multilateral institutions in Bangladesh. The government will purchase the solar electricity generated by the plant for 20 years at a rate of BDT11.12/kWh ($0.13).
Some 137,520 panels were installed across 132 acres at the site, powered by 12 Sungrow central inverters, each of which has a 3.125 MW rating. Chinese company Sungrow Power (Singapore) carried out the engineering, procurement, and construction of the plant.
“The project has used [a] highly efficient central inverter solution which is [a] first of its kind in Bangladesh,” said Imran Chowdhury, country head for Sungrow Bangladesh. He added, Sungrow wants to be country’s largest solar developer within five years, including in floating solar and energy storage.
The plant is the latest utility scale addition in the nation following the connection of a 50 MW plant in the Mymensingh district of northern Bangladesh in November. A 7.6 MW project in Sirajgang district is awaiting grid connection.
Bangladesh has 700.84 MW of total clean energy generation capacity, of which 369.81 MW is grid connected. Solar accounts for 466.91 MW of the total clean power figure.
This article is reproduced at www.pv-magazine.com
