Bangladesh on Sunday marked the completion of a major German-supported smart grid initiative, with both sides expressing interest in expanding cooperation to accelerate the integration of renewable energy into the national power system.
The Energy Efficiency and Grid Integration of Renewable Energy Phase Two project, carried out by GIZ under German Development Cooperation in partnership with the government, has been credited with helping modernise the national grid and laying technical foundations for wider use of clean energy.
According to the organisers, one of the project’s key milestones is the establishment of Grid Studies and Innovation Facilities at Power Grid Bangladesh, which have since been expanded to West Zone Power Distribution Company, Dhaka Power Distribution Company and Northern Electric Supply. The facilities are intended to strengthen advanced grid planning and system management.
The project also trained more than 400 professionals on grid planning and renewable energy integration, set up the country’s first learning facility on battery-based energy storage at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and installed phasor measurement units at eight grid substations to improve real-time stability assessment.
The Power Division under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources organised the event with GIZ Bangladesh on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
“We have now reached a stage where our priorities shift toward deeper modernisation, digital transformation and the integration of clean and renewable energy solutions,” said Power Division Secretary Farzana Mamtaz. She said the aim is to build an efficient and reliable power system capable of supporting a more diversified and cleaner energy mix.
Launched in June 2021, the second phase of the initiative has worked to strengthen the technical requirements needed for integrating distributed solar photovoltaic systems into the energy mix. Officials said the project has moved beyond theoretical discussions and has delivered critical physical infrastructure and capacity-building support for the sector.
The Grid Studies and Innovation Facilities, which began as a single hub at Power Grid Bangladesh, now extend across three major distribution utilities, developing skills and tools for smart grid operations at both transmission and distribution levels.
The event brought together Power Grid Bangladesh, Dhaka Power Distribution Company, West Zone Power Distribution Company, Northern Electric Supply and the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, along with private sector partners who shared insights on how the new digital tools and facilities are shaping modern electricity system management.
Participants agreed on the need to move from basic integration to advanced smart management and committed to using the new installations as active laboratories for the next phase of digital and regional grid operations.
Senior representatives from government bodies, development partners including the European Union and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, research institutions, private organisations and academia attended the workshop.
