Bangladesh plans to build a 70 MW solar power plant on unused land at the Matarbari coal-fired power station in the southeastern part of the country, with electricity generation expected to begin by December 2028.
State-owned Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Ltd. (CPGCBL) will develop the project in an ash pond area at the 1,200 MW Matarbari coal plant. The EIB is expected to co-finance construction alongside CPGCBL and the Bangladeshi government.
A recent meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman called for expedited construction amid fuel supply shortages affecting the country’s electricity supply.
Bangladesh aims to generate 20% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and 30% by 2040. The project is intended to increase the share of renewables in the country’s energy mix, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and lower greenhouse gas emissions, according to the development project proposal.
The proposed site lies within the coal plant’s protective embankment, where security infrastructure is already available. Existing transmission infrastructure nearby is also expected to reduce additional construction costs.
Bangladesh has approved several large-scale solar projects in recent months, including a proposed 442 MW plant at Rampal on unused land at a coal-fired power station.
The government has also introduced measures to support solar deployment, including temporarily reducing import taxes on solar equipment from 17% to 1% for 180 days. It has introduced a tariff of BDT 10.50 ($0.085)/kWh for surplus electricity from eligible rooftop solar systems under its net-metering regime.
Bangladesh had 1,935 MW of installed renewable energy capacity, according to the source.
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