Between December and January, the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) issued tenders for 41 solar power projects. However, not a single bid has been submitted, prompting the state-owned utility to extend the submission deadlines multiple times. The proposed solar plants, with capacities varying from 10 MW to 100 MW, are projected to deliver a total of 2.633 GW of electricity.
The BPDB’s initial tender, released on 5 December, has already undergone two deadline extensions. Meanwhile, the submission periods for two additional tenders, announced on 8 December and 27 January, have each been extended once.
Although a considerable number of tender documents for the first project have been purchased, no formal proposals have been received. The document sales for the other two tenders continue, with the new submission deadlines pushed back to April.
According to Golam Mortuza, director of the Bangladeshi independent power producer Cell-1, the BPDB has already eased several conditions in response to feedback from prospective investors during pre-bid meetings and may consider further adjustments if required.
Nevertheless, investors remain hesitant, arguing that the projects are not financially viable under the current conditions. Key concerns include the lack of government-backed guarantees and challenges in securing funding. Additionally, BPDB’s decision to designate Bangladesh as the arbitration venue has been met with resistance from foreign developers and lenders, who deem this condition unfavourable.
