German renewable energy company Sonnex Energie GmbH is set to establish a 500 megawatt (MW) Solar PV module manufacturing hub in Bangladesh as part of a strategic joint venture with local firm Solar EPC Development Ltd.
The initiative was unveiled at a formal launch event at a Dhaka hotel on Tuesday, reports UNB.
The new entity, Sonnex Energie (Bangladesh) Ltd, aims to bring key industry stakeholders, government officials, and representatives together from regional and international energy organisations.
The manufacturing hub will produce high-efficiency solar panels locally, reducing the country’s dependence on imported modules while ensuring competitive pricing and quality assurance, company officials said.
The project is expected to contribute significantly to Bangladesh’s renewable energy goals, particularly in solar energy deployment across the commercial, industrial, and utility-scale sectors.
The first phase of the joint venture will focus on market development and deployment of Sonnex Energie’s solar technologies across Bangladesh’s Commercial & Industrial (C&I) sector.
Following that, the second phase, targeted for completion by 2028, will see the establishment of 500MW annual manufacturing capacity, with plans to scale up to gigawatt-level production by 2035.
Additionally, the roadmap includes automated assembly plants, advanced testing laboratories, and technical training centres. These facilities will facilitate technology transfer, foster workforce development, and support the country’s shift to a sustainable energy economy, according to officials.
The venture will also establish local logistics hubs and warehousing infrastructure to strengthen the solar energy supply chain and provide robust after-sales services, and operations and maintenance networks for long-term system reliability.
The event was chaired by Eric Lee, managing director of Sonnex EnergieGmbH and was addressed by several notable guests, including Ni Xiaopeng Liam, managing director of Huawei; Jean Lee, director of Yunnan Commercial Representative of China; Bernard Shao, regional director of Sungrow; and Monowar Islam, former Power Division secretary and ex-chairman of BERC.
Also present were Sadia Raisha Khan, country representative of GIZ; Mohammad Alauddin, rector of Bangladesh Power Management Institute; Dipal Barua, former president of BSREA; Neyamul Hasan, managing director of Intertek Bangladesh; and Ezaz Al Qudrat A Mazid, director of Solar EPC Development Ltd.