The Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) has signed an agreement with Greener Garments Initiative Limited (GGI) to install an 8.42-megawatt-peak rooftop solar power plant on the unused roofs of port buildings and sheds, in a move aimed at reducing electricity costs and promoting sustainable port operations.
The project, to be implemented under an operating expenditure (OPEX) model through private investment, is expected to save the port authority around Tk100 crore in electricity bills over the next 20 years.
The agreement was signed on Monday by CPA Chairman Rear Admiral S M Moniruzzaman on behalf of the port authority and GGI Chief Executive Officer Mohammad Nure Alam on behalf of his organisation.
The initiative is part of the CPA’s Green Port Initiative, which seeks to promote renewable energy and environmentally sustainable port management.
Under the agreement, GGI will finance the project and take responsibility for its design, equipment procurement, construction, testing, operation and maintenance. The CPA will not need to make any upfront capital investment.
GGI will supply the electricity generated by the plant to the port authority at a fixed tariff stipulated in the agreement for 20 years from the commencement of commercial operations. The electricity will be used to meet the port’s daily power requirements.
The CPA expects the initiative to reduce its dependence on conventional electricity, ease pressure on the national grid and lower long-term energy costs. Increased use of renewable energy is also expected to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support the port’s transition towards more sustainable operations.
The project is planned to be connected to the national grid through a net-metering system in the future, allowing surplus electricity to be supplied to the grid.
According to the port authority, the initiative is consistent with the government’s renewable energy policy objectives and will support efforts to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the objectives of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
The project is expected to strengthen the port’s energy management while contributing to the broader adoption of renewable energy in Bangladesh’s maritime and logistics sectors.
