The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has tendered 200 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects to be developed across select locations in the country.

The bid-submission deadline is August 28, 2018.

The capacity (200 MW) is divided into four packages of 50 MW each. Package I (50 MW) will be developed near Baraiyarhat 132/33 kV grid substation, package II (50 MW) will be developed near Chuadanga 132/33 kV grid substation, package III (50 MW) will be developed near Netrokona 132/33 kV grid substation, and package IV (50 MW) will be developed near Bhaluka 132/33 kV grid substation.

A single bidder can bid for all the four packages. The solar PV projects will be developed on build own operate (BOO) basis. The successful bidders will enter power purchase agreements (PPAs) with BPDB for a period of 20 years.

The BPDB has directed bidders to deposit a bid security amount of $250,000.

Last year, BPDB had entered a 20-year PPA with Teesta Solar Limited, a sister concern of BEXIMCO Group, to procure 200 MW of solar electricity.

This 200 MW tender will further the case of renewables, especially solar in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh plans to add 2,500 MW of electricity generation capacity to the grid every year starting 2018. The Bangladesh government also plans to generate 10 percent of power from renewable sources by 2021.

As a step forward in the same direction, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced that it will give $20 million loan to Bangladesh under its Power System Efficiency Improvement Project for the furtherance of off-grid solar solutions in the country.

Moreover, World Bank also recently approved $55 million in financing to expand the use of renewable energy in rural areas of Bangladesh that grid electricity cannot easily reach. The funds will be used to finance the Second Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Development (RERED II) Project.

Image credit: By Muktar Hossain [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons