JS body seeks detailed info on govt’s rooftop solar initiative
The committee questioned progress towards the 4,000MW rooftop solar target, citing just 60MW added to the grid in the past 30 days, and sought a detailed breakdown of project costs and import data.
Highlights:
- Only 60MW of rooftop solar added to grid in 30 days
- Hasnat seeks audit of Tk2.89 lakh crore in capacity payments
- LPG sells above official price, MP alleges
- Diesel stocks sufficient for only 31 days, Hasnat says
- Committee seeks updates on capacity payment probe and BERC rules
- Committee questions rooftop solar costs and seeks power demand forecasts
The parliamentary standing committee of the Power, Energy and Mineral Resources ministry has sought detailed information on electricity generated by rooftop solar systems and supplied to the national grid, questioning the government's progress towards its target of adding 4,000MW of rooftop solar power by February next year.
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The committee made the instruction at its first meeting at the parliament today (10 October), asking the ministry to provide a detailed account of monthly progress, project costs and imports of solar panels and inverters at its next meeting.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, committee member Hasnat Abdullah said the ministry's data showed that only 60MW of rooftop solar power had been added to the grid over the past 30 days, despite the 4,000MW target.
At this rate, only 720MW would be added by February, he said, adding that the committee had sought details of the monthly progress and letters of credit opened for importing solar panels and inverters.
The committee also questioned the cost of rooftop solar projects. Hasnat said a 50MW project should cost around Tk150 crore, while the ministry had estimated the cost of a project of that capacity at more than Tk350 crore. It asked the ministry to provide a detailed breakdown of the costs of individual projects.
According to the parliamentary secretariat, the meeting was informed that the power division had 41 ongoing development projects under the Annual Development Programme for FY27.
The projects have allocations of Tk10,653 crore in project assistance, Tk4,071.39 crore from government funds and Tk3,381.80 crore from agencies' own resources.
The meeting was also informed that the country's gas-fired power generation capacity stood at 12,022MW, while actual generation ranged between 4,000MW and 5,000MW.
Coal-fired generation capacity was 6,927MW, with actual output ranging from 5,000MW to 6,000MW. Liquid-fuel-based plants had a capacity of 6,409MW but generated between 2,500MW and 3,000MW.
The committee was told that consumers installing rooftop solar systems by February 28, 2027, would receive Tk10.50 per unit for surplus electricity supplied to the national grid until February 28, 2030.
Committee member and Jamaat-e-Islami MP Nazibur Rahman said the ministry had acknowledged mismanagement, corruption and a lack of planning behind the country's power and energy crisis during its presentation.
However, he said, the ministry had failed to provide updates on the implementation of recommendations made by an earlier inquiry committee into capacity payments.
He said a committee led by a judge had been formed following a High Court verdict on capacity charges. The parliamentary committee wanted to know what recommendations the inquiry body had made and what steps had been taken to implement them.
