The government has taken an initiative to directly involve local government institutions in generating electricity from waste and expanding the use of renewable energy. At the same time, work has begun on a major plan to install solar panels on the roofs of government buildings and sell surplus electricity to the national grid.
State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam disclosed the plans on Saturday while inspecting the waste management centres and development activities at the 2W and 4 Extension Rohingya camps in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar.
The state minister said the government was giving high priority to electricity generation from waste. An agreement has already been signed between Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and a Chinese company, CMEEC. Under the project, around 3,000 metric tonnes of waste will be processed daily to generate approximately 43 megawatts of electricity for supply to the national grid. A Chinese company, Wimm, is conducting a feasibility study for a similar initiative at Dhaka South City Corporation.
Expressing dissatisfaction with waste management in Cox’s Bazar Municipality, Shahe Alam said work was currently being carried out manually, posing risks to public health. He said there were plans to complete around 90 percent of the work using modern machinery, while experts would assess the feasibility of generating electricity from waste in Cox’s Bazar.
On renewable energy, Shahe Alam said the government had set a target of adding 300 to 400 megawatts of electricity to the national grid through local government institutions.
As part of the initiative, solar panels will be installed on the roofs of around 4,000 Union Parishads, 330 municipalities, 61 district councils, 503 upazila councils and various city corporation facilities, community centres and marketplaces, covering a total of 6,544 establishments. Recent government statements also confirm a plan to install rooftop solar systems at 6,544 local-government-related facilities, with a target of around 300 megawatts of generation.
The minister said the plan calls for 150 megawatts of electricity to be used by the institutions themselves, with another 150 megawatts supplied to the national grid as surplus power. The government has already allocated Tk370 crore for the initiative.
He said the government would purchase surplus electricity generated from renewable sources at Tk10.50 per unit for supply to the national grid until February 27, 2027. Previously, the rate was Tk7.90 per unit. Institutions seeking to benefit from the special rate must complete the necessary activities by February 27, 2027.
The minister was accompanied by members of parliament, senior administrative officials and civil society representatives.
