CHATTOGRAM, June 06: Work is underway to add 1 MW of generation capacity to the existing 7.4 MW solar power plant in Kaptai, said Assistant Engineer of the Kaptai Solar Power Plant Md. Jahangir Alam.
"Besides, construction of a 332 kW rooftop solar power plant will begin very soon. In addition, a separate 7.6 MW solar power plant will be established," he said.
The first on-grid solar power plant located in the south side of the Kaptai Dam in Kaptai Upazila of Rangamati was inaugurated on September 11, 2019, costing Tk 1.10 billion. It has utilized 19.5 acres of unused land belonging to the Kaptai Hydropower Station. According to the project's Development Project Proposal (DPP), the cost of generating electricity has been estimated at 48 paisa per kilowatt-hour.
A total of 60 million units of electricity have been supplied to the national grid since the plant commenced commercial operation. The electricity supplied is estimated to have a commercial value of Tk 720 million. The plant generates an average of 27,000 units of electricity per day.
Manager of Kaptai Hydraulic Power Station Engineer Md. Mahmud Hasan said, "The electricity generated by the hydropower plant along with the solar power plant is being connected to the national grid. However, the production of the solar power plant depends on the weather."
Environmental activist Mathura Bikash Tripura said, "We have long been demanding that the state take more initiatives to reduce the use of fossil fuels and use renewable energy. Fossil fuels are emitting greenhouse gases on a large scale, which is contributing to global warming. The use of renewable energy is environmentally-friendly. Therefore, it is important to take more initiatives to use renewable energy."
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