Kathmandu. Bangladesh’s interim government has ordered all government institutions to install solar panels as a long-term solution to the country’s extreme heat and power shortages.
Bangladesh, which has a population of 170 million and is facing a severe electricity shortage, has set a target of generating 20 percent of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030.
Bangladesh aims to quadruple this to 30 percent by 2040. “Bangladesh is lagging far behind its neighboring countries in terms of energy,” said a statement issued by the office of interim leader Mohammad Yunus. “In neighboring India, 24 percent of the total requirement and in Sri Lanka, about 40 percent is being met from renewable sources, but only 5.6 percent of our total requirement is being met from it,” the statement said.
The government’s rooftop solar program will immediately install solar panels on all government offices, schools, colleges and hospitals, the statement said late Thursday. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that these panels will be installed and operated by private sector companies after the government failed to install the panels using the power agency.
“The private sector will handle the overall maintenance and operate the system for its commercial interests,” the statement added. “The government will only provide them access to the rooftop,” he said. The government has also launched a tender process for 55 solar power projects with a total capacity of 5,238 megawatts.
Bangladesh relies heavily on cross-border electricity imports from neighboring India and imports electricity from Nepal to meet its needs. Bangladeshi electricity consumers rely on abundant energy-starved air conditioners to stay cool in the summer. Dhaka also began construction of a Russian-backed nuclear plant in Rooppur in 2017. When the 2,400 megawatt project is fully operational, it will be Bangladesh’s largest power plant.
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