Bangladesh Power Firm Issues 160 MW International Solar Tender

Bay of Bengal Power Company Limited (BPDB), has issued an international tender inviting bids for for the design, supply, installation, testing & commissioning of a 160 MW Solar (AC) PV Power Plant at Maheshkhali Peninsula, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

According to the tender document (priced BDT 20,000), the bidders will have to submit the technical and financial proposal in two separate envelopes. The tender security amounts stand at $ 2 million. The tender was opened on April 28 and will remain valid for 240 days from the date of opening. The last date for selling of tender document is 25th June while the last date for submission of the tender is 27th June.

The detailed tender document can be viewed here.

Bangladesh, despite the many challenges it faces with large utility scale projects, notably shortage of land, has moved ahead with projects in recent months. 160 MW is about the largest project sizes possible , though the country does have the 275 MW Sundarganj project developed by India’s Rays Power Infra.

Bangladesh’s Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) approved tariffs for seven solar power plants totaling 630 MW in December. Approvals were granted for 200 MW in November, 310 MW in October, 570 MW in September, 300 MW in August, 66 MW in April, and 120 MW in January 2023. Most of these projects secured a fixed tariff of around $0.10/kWh.

In Wind Energy sector in Bangladesh, Global fashion brands BESTSELLER and H&M Group are investing in Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners’ (CIP) first offshore wind project in Bangladesh. It is an offshore wind project with a capacity of 500 MW. Currently, it is in the phase of early-stage development by CIP in partnership with Summit Power, a firm that develops, owns, and operates power-generating assets. The operations will kickstart in 2028.

Cox’s Bazar wind plant, the first centralised wind power project in Bangladesh invested in and constructed by Chinese enterprises, was fully put into operation last month. Upon full operation, the project will provide Bangladesh with about 145 million kWh of clean electricity per year, reduce coal consumption by 44,600 tons and carbon dioxide emissions by 109,200 tons.