The creation of solar power parks on vacant land in Chittagong’s Mirsharai Economic Zone—the nation’s largest industrial enclave—is being investigated by the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza). The goal of this project is to improve Bangladesh’s renewable energy situation.
Beza’s executive chairman, Ashik Chowdhury, emphasised that the organisation is eager to employ roughly 3,840 acres of land reserved for future industrial use to create these solar parks under a public-private partnership (PPP) model. Installing solar panels will allow clothing manufacturers to use renewable energy, which will lower their operating costs and improve sustainability given the RMG sector’s significant energy needs.
The agency forecasts a strong industrial structure, with 156 investors having already committed 5,400 acres of the 16,800 acres of Mirsharai EZ to manufacturing development. Chowdhury clarified that a staged approach to development will enable the incorporation of solar energy solutions, “Factories will be built on 55 per cent of the land, while another 25 per cent will cater to essential infrastructure,” he said.
The RMG industry is under increasing pressure to implement ecologically sustainable methods, thus the introduction of solar power is especially appropriate. Beza wants to increase their competitiveness in the global market by installing solar panels in the area by 2027 so that they may take advantage of affordable electricity.
To further support the development of a green energy environment, Mirsharai investors will also have the chance to install their own solar panels. Chowdhury stressed that in order to identify the projects that can be carried out in the upcoming five years, a thorough prioritisation strategy would be created.
The partnership between Beza, the Bangladesh Power Development Board, and private developers will look to international lenders for financial assistance in order to fulfil this renewable energy objective as the nation works to fulfil the increasing energy demands of its industrial sectors.
