The state-owned Electricity Generation Company of Bangladesh (EGCB) is going to build a 100-MW solar power plant at Sonagazi of Feni district.
To this end, EGCB signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Marubeni Corporation of Japan under a joint venture with 50:50 ratio.
As per the MOU the PGCB and Marubeni will set up the plant with each having 50 percent equity share in the project.
State Minister for Power Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid was present at the signing ceremony as chief guest through virtual platform on Thursday noon.
The state minister said that power generation from renewable energy is being encouraged. Due to scarcity of land, solar power is not going to be produced on a large scale. Technology needs to be invented so that solar power generation takes less land.
“There is a need to bring more diversity in the energy mix of power generation. The developed world is working with hydrogen as fuel. It's time to rethink wind power, solar power, and ocean energy. Funding can also be provided for research in these works,” the minister added.
EGCB Chairman who is also an additional secretary of power division, Sheikh Faezul Amin presided over the virtual event. Among others, Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh, Naoki Itu, Power Secretary Habibur Rahman, Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) Chairman, Engineer Belayet Hossain and EGCB Managing Director Arun Kumar Shaha were also present.
Kazi Nazrul Islam, secretary of the company on behalf of EGCB, and Hiruki Gutu, general manager of the company, signed the agreement on behalf of Marubeni.
EGCB is currently operating two 120 MW Picking Power Plant at Siddhirganj, one 412 MW Combined Bicycle Power Plant at Haripur, one 335 MW Combined cycle Power Plant at Siddhirganj.
In addition to conventional power plants, ECGB has taken steps to implement renewable energy-based power plant projects. That is why it has acquired around 1000 acres of land in Sonagazi of Feni district, where 250 MW solar and 20 MW wind power plants will be constructed in phases.
A 50 MW solar power plant is currently under construction at the site under EGCB. Marubeni Corporation currently contributes to power generation in 19 countries.
The government has undertaken various initiatives to increase renewable energy ratio in the power energy sector. However, the renewable energy installation capacity is 730.32 MW under the guideline of the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA), of which 496.39 MW comes from solar power.
