ISA to support Bangladesh in solar energy


FE Team | Published: February 24, 2023 21:05:54


File photo used for representational purpose

The International Solar Alliance (ISA) will provide technical support to Bangladesh to pull in financing for the renewable energy sector.

"We'll help Bangladesh find a right policy to introduce a right business model for investment in the solar power sector," ISA Director General Ajay Mathur has said.

He said this while addressing a press briefing in Dhaka Thursday, reports Xinhua.

The ISA is an alliance based on an intergovernmental treaty whose primary objective is to work for efficient consumption of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

The remarks came following Bangladesh's signing of a strategic country partnership agreement with the ISA to accelerate the development of solar energy.

Power secretary Habinur Rahman and Mathur signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.

The ISA chief said that land scarcity and a right technological solution have been the biggest challenges to the government in achieving a target of generating 40 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2041.

"Options like floating solar could be an ideal solution for Bangladesh ... We'll be working to find innovative ideas," he said.

Rahman noted that a total of eight projects were to be implemented under the agreement with the ISA.

These include installations of 12 trolley-mounted portable solar irrigation systems of about 2kW capacity, 12c portable solar paddy threshers of about 2kW capacity, two rooftop solar projects with a capacity of 22kW, a solar cold storage for preservation of agricultural produce, the development of a rooftop project at Chattogram or any other railway station, the installation of a floating solar project in Gazipur and Munshiganj.

Conversion of two manually operated sluice gates to floating solar-powered auto sluice gates in two sites under the Bangladesh Water Development Board is also included in the agreement.

Share if you like