Bangladesh has opened a tender for 495 MW of grid-tied solar power across 10 sites, giving the country a fresh push toward larger renewable energy use. The Bangladesh Power Development Board says the projects will range from 25 MW to 100 MW and will be built in Kishoreganj, Chattogram, Kurigram, Mymensingh, Cox’s Bazar, Panchagarh, Lalmonirhat, Netrokona, and Tangail, with the sites planned near existing substations as part of the government’s goal of reaching 10,000 MW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. The tender model puts land purchase and project financing on the private developer, and BPDB has said the government will not provide land or other development support. Bidders will also propose the tariff at which they are willing to sell electricity to BPDB, and they must submit a tender security of $5,000 per MW before taking part. The schedule is already fixed, with the pre-bid meeting set for May 18 at Bidyut Bhaban in Dhaka, the last date to buy tender documents on June 25, and the submission deadline on June 28. The announcement has still drawn caution from the private sector because investors say the structure does not solve some of the main problems that have slowed earlier solar tenders. Imran Chowdhury of the Bangladesh Sustainable and Renewable Energy Association said the design looks much like earlier tenders that failed to attract strong competition, especially from international investors. He also argued that the current approach shifts land acquisition back to developers, even though land access is one of the biggest barriers to utility-scale solar projects in Bangladesh. Another concern is bankability, since investors want clear payment security and stronger contractual protections before committing large amounts of capital. Without those safeguards, industry voices warn that participation may stay limited and projects may move slowly, even if the country’s renewable energy target is ambitious. The debate shows the tension between a strong clean energy goal and the practical details needed to turn that goal into real power plants. For Bangladesh, the tender is an important test of whether future solar growth will come through a more bankable public-private model or continue to face the same barriers that have held back past bids.
