Largest solar PV park in Bangladesh

Abhay Adya

Business Head, Renewables, Zetwerk

Challenge

Located 45 km from the main city of Rangpur, Bangladesh's largest solar power park was set to be executed in a remote village in the Gaibandha district. A solar project of this scale requires a variety of expertise - from concept to commissioning - with effective project management. Add a difficult terrain and strict timeline to the mix, you've got a tight challenge on your hands. And with the site located along the banks of the Brahmaputra, it became imperative to cautiously execute the project without any environmental impact. Owing to the unique soil conditions of the area, the solar piles required a special helical design, and were packaged along with customised inverters and drums.

On average, it takes 138 hours and 55 signatures to move one truck from India to Bangladesh. With 2008 trucks to be moved across the border in the span of 330 days, shipping material from 50 locations across India, Zetwerk's Renewables team rose to the challenge and effectively moved one truck every four hours.

Solution

Zetwerk has aided in the design, supply, execution and commissioning of Bangladesh's largest solar park. The 275 MWp solar power project is the largest of its kind in the country and has commenced power generation & transmission to the national grid.

Given the tight timeline and variables at play, our in-house project management software helped optimise the time required for identifying the proper manufacturer for the design specified. Parallel manufacturing and supervision by expert quality control engineers deployed at each factory ensured on-time production. Our dedicated logistics and production monitoring teams handled material delivery from 12 Indian states, including the delivery of 20,000 MT of steel, 6.5 lakh meters of cable, 16 inverter duty transformers with HT/LT panels & switch gears, and other major materials parallelly manufactured in a span of six months.

To accommodate the tight project delivery timelines, we used multiple modes of transportation, including roadways, waterways (barge) and air freight.

Creating an impact

The Gaibandha solar power park will offset over 375 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions, thereby working towards a greener planet that uses decarbonised energy sources.

This cause is in line with the UN's SDG goals of access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

In enabling this 'Make in India, for the World' project, Zetwerk is contributing to India's GDP, while simultaneously helping a neighbouring country achieve a green goal as a step towards the vision of the 'Look and Act East' policy. All this, while safely working along the Brahmaputra River with zero impact to the environment.

Zetwerk advantage

Zetwerk's proprietary tools and technology enabled seamless project management from design to delivery. With a robust network of reliable suppliers across India, and all the required approvals in place, we were able to efficiently deliver heavy materials across the border and into Bangladesh via specialised quality and logistics teams. This ultimately led to shorter lead times and timely delivery of the full project.

Zetwerk through its robust renewable operations, has been able to create real impact across India and beyond. With increasing consumer awareness, the renewable energy sector is poised for a significant growth spurt.

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