In August, a four member delegation from BEPZA (Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority) visited the solar module production site of Scandinavian-German manufacturer Innotech Solar (ITS) in the Swedish town of Glava. The reason behind the visit was to conduct pre-shipment inspection for procurement of photovoltaic installations in Bangladeshi industrial parks/ Export Processing Zones. The intention is for solar energy to help reduce the risk of power outages and thus increase the security of power supply within the country. Navana Renewable Energy Ltd, a subsidiary of the Navana Group which is one of the largest companies in Bangladesh, has had two successful bids employing solar modules from Innotech Solar.
The solar projects and tendering process were initiated by the Bangladesh Government, whose goal is to attract new investors to the country by ensuring a more reliable power supply. All tender bids must employ European solar modules in order to guarantee high plant quality.
In Glava, the four-man delegation was able to gain a good first hand impression of fully-automated solar module production. The module factory has an annual capacity of 150 megawatts (MW) and manufactures high-performance solar modules that combine durability, good yields and environmental sustainability. Thanks to ITSs unique production methods, the carbon footprints of its modules are just half those of comparable solar modules which is significant as expanding economies seek to balance growth with minimizing environmental impact. A low temperature coefficient of -0.38 %K also makes ITS modules particularly well suited to use in regions with high levels of insolation and heat, enabling them to generate higher energy yields.
Khandaker Akhtaruzzaman, a senior official (Additional Secretary) of the Bangladesh Government, states: Until now, Bangladesh has been best known for its Ready Made Garment (RMG) industry. Around 80 percent of our companies work in this field. The new solar installations form part of our strategy for optimizing energy infrastructure, which we hope will help to awaken interest in our country from businesses in other sectors. Innotech Solar is a valuable partner in this endeavor, since its high quality standards will contribute to ensuring that solar power production remains reliable in the long-term."
According to a study conducted by the International Renewable Energy Agency IRENA, as many as 80,000 solar power systems are installed in Bangladesh each month. The number of jobs in the countrys solar sector has also risen in recent years and now totals 114,000.
Jerry Stokes, CEO of Innotech Solar commented, As a result of this highly successful visit and close co-operation between Innotech Solar and Navana Renewable Energy we look forward to continuing to contribute to improving energy security and energy access in Bangladesh."
