Bangladesh's 1st solar panel assembling plant opens

Dhaka, May 1, 2010 (SANS Correspondent):

The first-ever solar panel assembling plant in the country was launched in Savar yesterday to make solar panels available on the local market at a competitive price. Solar panels, assembled at the plant, are expected to hit the market in a month. The plant set up by local company Electro Solar Power Ltd (ESPL) is capable of assembling solar panels with a production capacity of 10-megawatt electricity a year, said company officials. Prime Minister's Adviser on energy affairs Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury inaugurated the plant at Ashulia in Savar. Syed Manzur Elahi, former adviser to a caretaker government, was also present there. “It's a positive initiative. Such ventures will facilitate the country's economic development,” said Tawfiq. He said the ESPL's initiative would support the government's goal of meeting a part of the electricity demand through green energy. The government aims to meet 5 percent of the country's energy demand through green energy by 2015 and 10 percent by 2020.The government decided to install solar systems in government buildings, he said.“We hope that there will be no problem in marketing locally-assembled solar panels,” Tawfiq said.

ESPL, a sister concern of Electro Group, was established in 2009. The company will import solar cells and other accessories, and assemble them, said its officials. The plant has the capacity to assemble solar charger, battery and other accessories for solar home systems. Ansar Uddin, managing director of ESPL, said they hope that their initiative would help ease the ongoing power crisis a bit.