Bangladesh is expected to clear a 442 MW solar project at Rampal this week. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council is set to review the proposal from BPDB. The plant would sit on 918.5 acres of vacant land originally acquired for the 1,320 MW coal plant at the same site. BPDB says site development including land filling and boundary protection is already done. That should lower construction costs and shorten the timeline versus a greenfield build. The plant is scheduled to be implemented in phases starting in 2028 and will connect to the grid through a new 230 kV line linked to the BIFPCL substation. The project is part of Bangladesh's goal of getting 20 percent of annual electricity from renewables by 2030. BPDB estimates a tariff of Tk 6.18 per unit, well below the proposed Sonagazi solar plant. Repurposing coal land also eases pressure on the Sundarbans, which sits nearby.
