A joint venture between China's CREC International Renewable Energy Co. and Bangladesh's B-R Powergen Ltd. (BRPL) has agreed to set up a 100 MW solar power plant in Madarganj, Jamalpur district, Bangladesh.

BRPL Managing Director Dhurjjati Prosad Sen told pv magazine that the power plant will be built on 350 acres of land with an estimated cost of $170 million. The plant is expected to come online by December 2025.

“We will provide only the land, while the Chinese company will provide the rest to set up the plant,” said Sen.

The Chinese company will take a 70% stake in the project and will arrange funds for construction. The Asian Development Bank is expected to provide funds to set up the plant.

The project will be built close to the Jamuna River, with a channel connecting the river in the project area. The channel will remain intact, with water during the rainy season and dry in summer.

Sen said the solar power plant will be “semi-agrivolatic” in nature.

“Our plan is we won’t landfill the project area,” he said. “We will build shorter poles on high land and taller poles on low land, allowing fishes to play during the rainy season.”

The venture also plans to cultivate spices such as green chilies, turmeric, and ginger beneath the solar panels, as they only need low sunlight. “The reason is to double use of the land,” Sen stated.

by economictimes