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Bera 3.77 MW (Saudia Agro) Solar Power Plant

  • 6 days ago
  • 5 min read

Current Status:  Pre-construction


Bera 3.77 MW (Saudia Agro) Solar Power Plant, is the country’s first agri-PV power plant to be situated at Bera in Pabna  District of Bangladesh (Location: 24.0691, 89.6475). The Saudia Agro Solar PV Power Plant Ltd (SASPL), a joint venture between Solarland China and local company Mostafa Motors are the sponsor of this power plant which signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) and implementation agreement with the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) for the project on 29 December 2021 with a tenure of 20 years. According to the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), the Commercial Operation Date (COD) of the power plant was scheduled to 28 June 2023 but delayed due to  numerous obstacles in government policies and new RCOD is set to 24 June 2024 and the and will retire on 23 June 2044.


Capacity

The installed capacity of Bera 3.77 MW (Saudia Agro) Solar Power Plant is 3.77 MW (BPDB, 2023).


Context

Soudia Agro Solar PV Power Plant Ltd (SASPL), a joint venture between Solarland China and local company Mostafa Motors signed a power purchase and implementation agreement with the Bangladesh Power Development Board for the project on 29 December 2021 and the government has committed to purchasing the produced electricity for a duration of 20 years. (PVM, 2021). The sponsor started preparatory works in 2022 (BPDB 2022). According to the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), the Commercial Operation Date (COD) of the power plant is scheduled as 28 June 2023 (BPDB 2022). The project was projected to conclude by October, 2022 (PVM, 2021) but delayed to 28 June 2023. However, a significant number of Bangladesh's renewable energy (RE) power projects remain in their early stages, despite surpassing the Commercial Operation Dates (COD) deadlines and this power plant is among those facing similar challenges (BP, 2023). SM Nasif Shams, an Associate Professor and the director of Dhaka University’s Institute of Energy, as well as an entrepreneur engaged in the Bera 3.77 MW solar power project in Pabna, cited numerous obstacles in government policies as key factors hindering the success of solar power projects  (BP, 2023). The power plant is now in the land development process and the new rescheduled commercial operation date (RCOD) is 12 December 2023 which is expected to run from June 2024 (BPDB, 2023). 


The project was initially expected to be completed by October 2022 and connected to the Bera-1 33/11kV PBS-2 Substation (PVM, 2021), though this deadline was not met. A significant number of Bangladesh's renewable energy projects remain in their early stages despite surpassing their COD deadlines, and this plant is among those facing similar challenges, with government policy obstacles cited as the key factor by the project's own academic adviser (ETBD, 2024). As of June 2026, no source confirms commercial operation has commenced; the plant remains Bangladesh's first agrivoltaic project yet to enter service.


Land Acquisition

The power plant will take  12.5 acres of land to produce electricity (Observer, 2021). 


Finance

The project is expected to incur a cost of approximately $7 million USD  (PVM, 2021). 


Sponsor

Soudia Agro Solar PV Power Plant Ltd – a joint venture between Solarland (Wuxi) Electric Science and Technology Company Limited, China and local company Mostafa Motors Limited are the sponsors of this power plant (PVM, 2021). 


Contractors

Huawei, a Chinese manufacturer of photovoltaic (PV) inverters, is set to provide its string inverters and intelligent transformer station for the project. Meanwhile, the developer has issued tenders to choose an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractor, with no additional information disclosed about other suppliers  (Observer, 2021). 


Fuel Supply

The power plant will run on agri-photovoltaic solar panels which will use solar energy as a fuel.


Power Generation

The power plant is slated to generate 3.77 MW of electricity, with a defined electricity tariff of $0.1074 USD per kilowatt-hour (kWh). The government has committed to purchasing the produced electricity for a duration of 20 years. The project will be linked to the Bera-1 33/11kV PBS-2 Substation (PVM, 2021).


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 2017 (MOEFCC 1997). The Bera 3.77 MW (Saudia Agro) Solar Power Plant, touted as the country's inaugural agri-photovoltaic facility, presents a unique combination of solar energy generation and agricultural activities. The project, situated on fertile agricultural land, incorporates special technologies for various agricultural tasks, featuring five specifically designed solar mounting structures. While details on these technologies remain undisclosed, the developer revealed that a significant portion of the area under the solar panels will be utilized for farming local poultry, ducks, goats, sheep, bees, and other domestic animals. Additionally, vertical crops, including different types of berries, will be cultivated, and plans for a greenhouse are in place. The project director, Abdul Gaffar, emphasized the strategic choice of integrating solar and agriculture in Bangladesh due to land scarcity and high solar project potential. While this innovative approach aligns with global trends in Agri-PV systems, which have seen significant deployment worldwide since 2019, it is crucial to assess both the environmental benefits and potential drawbacks. On the positive side, the dual-use of land for solar energy and agriculture maximizes resource utilization and enhances sustainability. However, concerns may arise regarding the environmental impact of solar panel production, maintenance, and end-of-life disposal, necessitating careful management to ensure a net positive environmental outcome. No EIA has been found for this powerplant  (Observer, 2021). According to the environmental conservation rule 2023 the project falls in the “Yellow” indicating it as a slightly harmful project for the environment (MOEFCC 2023).


References

 
 
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