Photo: BSS

KHULNA, July 26, 2025 (BSS) - A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed today at the Khulna Club auditorium between Sundarban Delta Growth Initiative (SDGI) and the Arab contractor consortium Orascom Peninsula, aiming to build a 600-megawatt solar power plant in Khulna, with an estimated cost of Tk 8,000 crore.

Before the signing ceremony, SDGI Chairman Mohammad Ali Asgor Lobby briefed journalists about the project.

He said this is the first phase of a larger initiative to generate 2,000 megawatts of renewable energy. The project aligns with Bangladesh's national target of sourcing 25 percent of its total energy from green sources by 2030.

"We are working to expand green energy not only in the Sundarbans but across the country, in line with the SDG-based strategic development plan of Bangladesh," he added.

The 600 MW solar project represents a foundational step toward this goal. The project is expected to ensure energy security, reduce carbon emissions, uphold environmental justice, and generate employment opportunities for the local population through industrial relocation.

In response to a question, officials revealed that over 1,500 acres of land will be needed for the project. Land in the Shiromoni and Bil Dakatia areas of Khulna city is currently being surveyed. If suitable land is not found there, alternatives in Mongla will be explored.

Lobby, an ex-chairman of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), mentioned that the project will initially begin with the generation of 200 megawatts, gradually expanding to 600 megawatts.

"Our aim is to restore the pride of this once-thriving industrial zone," Lobby emphasized.

Orascom Peninsula representatives Zhang Xiao Dong and Shi Leng, Khulna University Professors S.K. Mahmudul Hasan and Dr. Kazi Jahangir Hossain, City Unit BNP President Advocate Shafiqul Alam Mona, and SDGI representative M.A.N. Shaheen, among others, were present at the event.