Bangladesh’s Largest PV Project Goes Online With Sungrow Inverters

Bangladesh, which is celebrating its 50th year of independence this year, has started commercial operations at its largest PV project — the 130 MWp Bagerhat solar power plant. Powered by Sungrow’s central inverter solutions, which works closely with the  ABB and Orion Group in the country.

With 95% of Bangladesh’s power generation stemming from gas, diesel, and coal, this 130 MWp project is a significant development for a nation that had a total grid-connected solar capacity of approximately 100 MW in 2020.

Located in Khulna, the Bagerhat project overtook the 73 MW Mymensingh solar power plant as Bangladesh’s largest solar power plant upon its completion. Utilizing Bangladesh’s 2,500 hours of sunshine per year, the project will be able to generate power equivalent to that produced by more than 324,000 tons of coal a year. It is so far the largest eco-friendly power project to provide clean energy by using the most efficient monocrystalline solar panels and over 99% efficient inverters. This plant is connected to 132/33 KV Mongla PGCB Grid Substation through a newly constructed around 9 km transmission line.

Due to Bangladesh’s humid and hot climate, ABB picked Sungrow’s advanced SG3125HV 1500Vdc system for its efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The SG3125HV features temperature-controlled air cooling which allows it to operate without derating even when the temperature is up to 50 degrees Celsius. Moreover, its design allows for investment savings in the form of lower transportation and installation costs.

The investor of this project, Orion Group is a leading business conglomerate in Bangladesh. “We needed a solution that offers the most upside in terms of performance, cost-effectiveness, and compatibility with the conditions of the project. Sungrow, as a pioneer, was able to surpass all of our expectations with their state-of-the-art product,” commented Mehedi Islam Aneek, Project Manager of Orion Group.

Recently, the government of Bangladesh unveiled its renewable energy generation strategy for the Eighth Five-Year Plan period. The government said the new strategy will have to be aggressively pursued so that all that is planned to get implemented in time and the required policy support is prioritized. Citing the significant success of the introduction of rooftop PV systems and the role solar energy has played in providing lighting for homes, the Bangladeshi government said that the Eighth Five-Year Plan will continue to focus on solar and wind power development.

“We are honored and excited to be a part of the first 130 MWp scale solar project in Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s rapid industrialization has led to a drastic demand increase for power generation and the government is more focused on renewable energy development than ever before. With our experience and expertise, Sungrow is ready to expand our footprint in this growing market and assist Bangladesh in reaching its renewable power generation targets and beyond,” said Hu Yukun, Regional Manager, South Asia of Sungrow.