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Pabna 60 MW (BCRECL) Solar Power Plant

  • Jun 28
  • 4 min read

Current Status: Operation

Representational Picture: (MnM)


Pabna 60 MW Solar Power Plant, also known as Pabna Solar Park or Sujanagar Solar Park, is a solar Photovoltaic (PV) power plant is situated in Sagarkandi Union under Sujanagar Upazila in Pabna District of Bangladesh (Location: 23.8413, 89.6037). The power plant is proposed by Bangladesh-China Renewable Energy Company Private Limited (BCRECL), which is a joint venture special purpose vehicle (SPV) under equal ownership of North-West Power Generation Company Limited (NWPGCL) and China National Machinery Import & Export Corporation (CMC). The plant commenced commercial operation on August 26, 2025, and is currently in operation. The plant is expected to retire in August 2045, 20 years after its COD (BPDB, 2025).


Capacity

The proposed installed (gross) and derated (net) capacity of Pabna Solar Power Plant is 64.55 MW and 60 MW, respectively.


Context

The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) approved procurement of electricity from renewable energy-based five power plants on 8 December 2021 (FE 2021). Pabna 60 MW Solar Power plant is one of them.  It was anticipated that the project would undergo a singular phase of development, with construction likely to start in 2024 and the projected commercial operation to commence in June, 2025 (PT,2023). Subsequently, BPDB issued a Letter of Intent (LOI) as a preliminary commitment to commission the power plant on 16 January  2022 (BPDB, 2022). But the power plant actually started its commercial operation on August 26, 2025. 


A contract signed on June 29, 2022, at the North-West Power Generation Company Limited (NWPGCL)among Bangladesh-China Renewable Energy Company (Pvt.) Limited, a joint venture involving NWPGCL from Bangladesh and CMC from China, along with the Consortium of Pareosian (Asia Pacific) International Co., Ltd. for the Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Commissioning of the Pabna 60 MW Solar Park Project. Additionally, a contract was signed between PowerChina Fujian Electric Power Engineering Co. Ltd. and Sinohydro Corporation Limited, both based in China (NWPGC,2022). 


Land Acquisition

The Power Plant has been constructed on 204 acres (approximately 82.6 hectares) of government owned (khas) land at Sagarkandi Union in Sujanagar Upazila, Pabna.


Finance

The estimated budget of the power plant is BDT 1,689 crore (USD 198.71 million). Either share of equity and debt or any name of a possible External Credit Agency (ECA) is yet to be disclosed.


Sponsor

Bangladesh-China Renewable Energy Company Private Limited (BCRECL) is the sponsor of the power plant which operates within the framework of Bangladesh-China Power Company (Pvt.) Limited (BCPCL), a collaboration between North-West Power Generation Company Limited of Bangladesh and China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation.


Contractors

The implementation of this power plant has been entrusted to North-West Power Generation Company Limited (NWPGCL). The company has taken the initiative to install a 60-megawatt solar power plant as part of the government's plan to reach a target of generating 10 percent of its power from renewable resources by 2020 in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (DS,2019). 


Power Generation

The power generated from the project will be sold to Bangladesh Power Development Board under a power purchase agreement. The power will be sold at the rate of USD$ $0.097kWh for a period of 20 years. The plant is expected to generate approximately 110 million kWh of clean electricity annually, which is equivalent to saving 43,000 metric tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 110,000 tons each year. The project is expected to supply clean electricity to approximately 60,000 households annually (PC, 2025).


Environment

According to Section 12 of the Bangladesh Environment Protection Act 1995, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is obligatory for any industry (MOLJPA 1995). Polluting industries, such as power plants, must undergo an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) and EIA as directed in the Environmental Conservation Rules 1997 (MOEFCC, 1997). This power plant is implemented on 204 acres khas land that won't pollute the environment as much as the other power plant carbon emission will be very low and there is no possibility to harm the surrounding environment. According to the environmental conservation rule 2023 the project falls in the “Orange” indicating it as a moderate harmful project for the environment (MOEFCC 2023).


Reference

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