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Sirajganj 68 MW (BCRECL) Solar Power Plant

  • 6 hours ago
  • 3 min read

Current Status: Operation

Source: (SAUR ENERGY)


Sirajganj 68 MW Solar Park, also known as Bangladesh-China Renewable Energy Company (Pvt.) Limited (BCRECL) Sirajganj Solar Park, is a solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant to be situated at Soyedpur near Jamuna Bridge under Sirajganj Sadar Upazila in Sirajganj District of Bangladesh (Location: 24.4007, 89.7374). It is sponsored by Bangladesh-China Renewable Energy Company Private Limited (BCRECL), and is a 50:50 Joint Venture Company (JVC) of North-West Power Generation Company Limited (NWPGCL) and China National Machinery Import & Export Corporation (CMC), as a private Independent Power Producer (IPP) for 20 years (TBS, 2025). The date of agreement for the powerplant was signed on 9 January 2023. The power plant started commercial operation on 14 July 2024 and will retire on 13 July 2044.


Capacity

As per the power purchase agreement (PPA),the actual installed and EPC-guaranteed capacity is 75 MW (AC) to ensure successful Commercial Operation Test performance and avoid the risk of the tested capacity falling below the contracted level, but the power plant's installed (gross) capacity is 68 MW.


Context

The approval of the Sirajganj 68 MW Solar Park project by the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) on 8 December 2021 marks a significant step in advancing the development of renewable energy infrastructure in Bangladesh. This approval allows the purchase of electricity generated by the power plant under the Quick Enhancement of Electricity and Energy Supply (Special Provisions) Act 2021. The Act likely provides a streamlined and expedited framework for the implementation of critical energy projects, allowing for swift decision-making and procurement processes to meet the growing demand for electricity in the country. The approval from CCGP is a testament to the government's commitment to promoting renewable energy and ensuring the efficient and timely execution of key projects that contribute to the nation's energy security and sustainability goals (TBS, 2021).


Land Acquisition

North-West Power Generation Company Limited (NWPGCL), one of the joint owners of Bangladesh-China Renewable Energy Company (Pvt.) Limited (BCRECL), had leased 214 acres of land from the Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) in Soyedpur, Sirajganj Sadar, Sirajganj, on the Western side of Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge for the implementation of the Sirajganj 68 MW Solar Park Project by BCRECL. The land lease agreement for this parcel of land was officially signed on 21 January 2021 between BBA and NWPGCL. On 13 March 2021, the land was formally handed over to NWPGCL by BBA in a ceremony attended by the honorable Secretary and Executive Director of BBA and the honorable Chief Executive Officer of NWPGCL (ETB,2025). 


Finance

To implement the project, a partnership between North West Power Generation Company Ltd and China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation, known as Bangladesh-China Power Company (Pvt) Limited, has signed agreements for power purchase and project implementation with the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB). The cost for the power plant project was USD 94.21 Million, with funding to be provided through an equal 50:50 investment from the joint venture company (BCRECL).


Contractors

The engineering procurement contract for the Sirajganj Sadar upazila project was signed between Consortium of ParyOcean (Asia Pacific) International Co., Ltd. and Powerchina Fujian Electric Power Engineering Co., Ltd. and Sinohydro Corporation Ltd., China, on 07 July 2022.



 Power Generation

According to the EPC, the power plant's Commercial Operation Date (COD) is scheduled as 23 December 2023. As per 9 January 2023, Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) is going to purchase electricity from Sirajganj 68 megawatt solar park for 20 years at  USD $0.102 per kilowatt hour (kWh) or BDT 11.21 (TBS, 2023). 

 

Environment

According to Section 12 of the Bangladesh Environment Protection Act 1995, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is obligatory for any industry (MOLJPA, 1995). The polluting industries, such as power plants, have to go through an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) and EIA as directed in the Environmental Conservation Rules 1997  (MOEFCC, 1997). But, till date, no IEE or EIA report has been found of the power plant. 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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