Bangladesh has approved a 442 MW grid-connected solar power plant with battery storage as the country seeks to address persistent electricity shortages and increase renewable energy generation. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, approved the project on Wednesday. The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) will develop the project at a total cost of BDT 25 billion ($200 million), making it the country’s largest solar power plant. The facility will be built next to the 1.32 GW coal-fired Rampal Power Station in Bagerhat district, southwestern Bangladesh. Around 371.7 hectares of land previously earmarked for a second unit of the coal-fired facility will instead be used for the solar project. pv magazine reported in April that BPDB was planning the 442 MW solar facility at Rampal, with the project expected to become Bangladesh’s largest PV installation. The project is scheduled for implementation between September 2026 and March 2029. Junior Planning Minister Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki said the facility will include eight hours of battery storage, twice the duration envisaged under the initial plan, allowing a larger volume of solar electricity to be stored for use outside daylight hours. “We want to set up...

Muscat – O-Green, an Oman-based global integrated energy, technology and data centre platform, and Samruk-Energy, Kazakhstan’s national power holding company, have signed a strategic cooperation agreement targeting approximately 2GW of installed solar and wind generation capacity, supported by battery storage, in Kazakhstan, Central Asia and other mutually agreed international markets. The agreement was signed by Aidarov Ansar Aidaruly, Chief Investment Officer of Samruk-Energy, and Mustafa Al Hinai, Chief Executive Officer of O-Green. Signed within the framework of the state visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to Kazakhstan, the agreement establishes a framework for cooperation across Kazakhstan, Central Asia and other mutually agreed markets. The proposed programme aims to supply wholesale electricity markets, industrial consumers and data centres, including through round-the-clock renewable power solutions. O-Green will contribute project development and technical expertise, while Samruk-Energy will facilitate engagement with relevant subsidiaries, authorities, the grid operator and potential customers in Kazakhstan. In other markets, the partners will jointly engage with relevant authorities, grid operators, offtakers and local partners, and work together to enable project execution and financing. The partnership will also create opportunities to export clean energy expertise and capabilities from Oman to international markets, while supporting the sultanate’s wider ambitions...