Unused land to be used for renewable expansion
The government has launched a nationwide initiative to identify large tracts of unused public land for renewable energy projects, aiming to accelerate clean power generation and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Under the move, ministries and state agencies have been instructed to submit details of contiguous, dispute-free plots larger than 3.5 acres to the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Authority Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza), Roads and Highways Department, railways ministry and water resources ministry have been asked to provide information on vacant land under their control.
The initiative follows directives from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to develop solar power projects on unused land owned by government bodies and autonomous organisations.
Officials have already begun collecting land data from the railway division, Roads and Highways Department and Bangladesh Water Development Board, while other agencies will be approached in phases before authorities assess the suitability of the land for renewable energy projects.
Meanwhile, Beza and the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding at Bidyut Bhaban to develop what officials described as Bangladesh’s first PPP-based solar power project on government land.
According to Beza, the project will incorporate advanced technologies, including battery energy storage systems.
Authorities are planning to build a large-scale solar power plant on around 412 acres of Beza-owned land at the National Special Economic Zone, with an initial generation target of 130-140 megawatts.
Under guidelines approved by the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, BPDB will serve as the contracting authority for renewable energy projects implemented on public land under the PPP model, while Beza will act as the landowner.
Major General (retd) Md Nazrul Islam, executive member of Beza, said the initiative aims to increase renewable energy generation by utilising unused government land.
“The electricity produced will be purchased by the power division, and the entire project will be implemented under a public-private partnership framework,” he said.
Nazrul added that the project would use Beza-owned land and receive financial support from the Asian Development Bank.
“That is why a memorandum of understanding has been signed among the land-owning agency, the power division and relevant stakeholders. However, completing the implementation procedures will take some time,” he added.
He also said Beza was preparing a list of plots across its economic zones that are not designated for immediate industrial use, with the Prime Minister’s Office set to decide which lands will be allocated for renewable energy projects.
The initiative is being implemented under the “Guidelines for Development of Renewable Energy Projects using Land Owned by Government Agencies under PPP Modality, 2026”, approved by the power ministry.
At a meeting in mid-April, Tarique Rahman stressed the importance of reducing reliance on fossil fuels and increasing electricity generation from renewable sources to strengthen the country’s energy security amid the current global situation.
According to meeting sources, ministers and secretaries from the water resources, road transport and railways ministries agreed to submit details of unused land to the PPP Authority by 30 April.
