3,000-4,000MW of Solar Power Before Summer: Tk 1,500 Crore Fund, Govt to Buy Surplus at Tk 10.50 Per Unit

The government is working to add 3,000 to 4,000 megawatts of solar power to the national grid before the summer season begins, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said. He made the announcement in his speech at the inauguration of 'Bangladesh Solar Expo 2026' at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Dhaka on Tuesday (November 3). He said that if everything goes according to plan, the government will be able to add 3,000 to 4,000 megawatts of solar power to the national grid before the summer season starts.

The Prime Minister said various steps have been taken to make financing for solar power installation easier, provide tax and duty benefits and encourage investment. An initial fund of Tk 1,500 crore has also been allocated for solar power expansion. He said the necessary money will be arranged in phases, and the government wants to ensure that entrepreneurs and investors in the renewable energy sector do not fall behind only for lack of money.

Tarique Rahman said the Solar Expo is aimed at achieving self-reliance in electricity generation as part of the steps the current government is implementing to build a self-reliant Bangladesh. Ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply in the country by generating power from its own sources is an important step in that direction, he said.

Calling renewable energy an inevitable reality for Bangladesh, the Prime Minister said renewable energy in Bangladesh is no longer just a promising sector, but an inevitable reality.

He said the government has set a target of producing 20 percent of the country's electricity demand from renewable sources by 2030 and 30 percent by 2040. Everyone from government and private institutions to every person in the country has an opportunity to be part of achieving this target, he said, adding that entrepreneurs are the main driving force of the initiative.

The Prime Minister also said the government has enacted the 'Special Solar Power Installation Ordinance 2026' to increase investment in the sector. Various policy support, tax and duty benefits and financial incentives have also been arranged to encourage investment.

The Prime Minister called for using the unused rooftops of government and private offices, educational institutions, hospitals, industrial factories, commercial establishments and homes to produce solar power. He said surplus solar power after one's own use can be supplied to the national grid under the net metering system. The government will buy each unit of electricity supplied this way at Tk 10.50, including incentives, for supplies made by February 2027.

The Prime Minister also shared his experience of installing solar panels at his own home. He said that before calling on everyone to produce solar power, he himself installed solar panels at his home and has already been able to add some surplus units of electricity to the national grid after use at home.

He also stressed reducing the price of solar power equipment and encouraging domestic production in the sector. The Prime Minister said tax and duty benefits have been given to encourage imports and domestic production of necessary equipment such as solar panels, inverters and batteries. In his view, producing more electricity is not the only goal; reducing the cost of electricity for people's use is also a government priority.

Describing the electricity and energy situation, the Prime Minister said the country had been turned into a completely import-dependent state. As a result, severe disruption in the import process due to the global war situation has forced Bangladesh to face a crisis in fuel and electricity supply. He said the government gave Tk 43,000 crore in subsidies to the power sector in the 2025-26 fiscal year to keep the country's fuel and electricity situation as normal as possible, and electricity demand this fiscal year is also at almost the same level. To deal with the situation, diesel stocks have been increased, initiatives have been taken to ensure coal supply and stocks for coal-based power plants, contact with alternative suppliers continues, and Tk 600 crore has already been allocated to produce electricity by procuring fuel oil.

Saying the government gives importance to meeting future demand instead of debating past failures in the power sector, the Prime Minister said that rather than wasting time discussing and criticising the failures or roles of previous governments in ensuring energy security and electricity generation, the current government's priority is how to meet electricity demand in the coming days and ensure uninterrupted supply to homes and businesses. He said the government is working simultaneously to keep fuel and electricity supply stable, review power sector costs and contracts, increase domestic gas exploration, diversify energy sources and rapidly expand solar power.

The Prime Minister also spoke of plans to increase the use of solar power in agriculture. He said the government supplies electricity at subsidised prices for farmers' irrigation. Initiatives have been taken to gradually convert electricity-run irrigation pumps into solar-powered pumps. This will reduce farmers' production costs, protect the environment and save national grid electricity. In the same way, solar power can create new possibilities for cold storage, agricultural product preservation and rural small enterprises.

Making a special appeal to service-providing companies in the solar power sector, the Prime Minister said they should keep an eye on whether a solar power system works properly after installation, whether it is maintained regularly and whether customers are getting the necessary service. He also called on electricity distribution companies and related institutions to keep regular contact with entrepreneurs and be sincere about their problems and possibilities.

Stressing electricity saving, the Prime Minister said producing electricity according to people's demand is the government's responsibility, while correct and economical use of electricity is the people's responsibility. He called on everyone to use natural light and air during the day and to keep unnecessary lights, fans and electrical appliances switched off at homes, offices and business establishments.

Expressing hope that the Bangladesh Solar Expo will not remain limited to a two-day exhibition, the Prime Minister said he wants today's Solar Expo not to end as just a two-day exhibition. He said new entrepreneurs should be created from here, new investment opportunities should arise, links should be built between banks and entrepreneurs, young people should get training and employment opportunities, and real initiatives for solar power expansion should develop in every district and upazila. At the event, he said, several young people were awarded from among more than 300 youths who presented innovative ideas on solar power and other subjects. Addressing the young people, he said one innovative idea of theirs could be game-changing for Bangladesh. At the end of his speech, the Prime Minister declared the 'Bangladesh Solar Expo 2026' inaugurated. The Power Division of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources and Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) jointly organised the Solar Expo for the first time.