China-Bangladesh joint venture to set up solar power plant in Bangladesh

DHAKA, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese and Bangladeshi joint venture have signed a deal with the Bangladeshi government to set up a 68-megawatt solar power plant in the country's Sirajganj district, 134 kilometers northwest of the capital Dhaka.

Bangladesh China Renewable Energy Company (Pvt) Limited (BCRECL), a subsidiary of the North-West Power Generation Company Limited and China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation, signed a power purchase agreement and an implementation agreement with the state-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).

As per the agreements, BPDB will purchase electricity from the plant over the period of 20 years.

Bangladeshi State Minister for Power Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid, among others, was present at the agreement signing ceremony. He said the power plant is part of the government's plan to generate 2,000 megawatts of electricity from renewable energy sources in the next year.