Jakarta. PLN Indonesia Power, a subsidiary of the state-run energy enterprise, is eyeing Bangladesh’s ambitions to add up to 495 megawatts (MW) of solar power.

The company recently announced it had sealed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bangladeshi conglomerate Bay Group. The latter has appointed its subsidiary Copenhagen Urban Solar Parks (CUSP) as the development partner.

The move came not long after the government-run Bangladesh Power Development Board had launched tenders for 10 grid-connected solar projects. Each site ranges between 25 and 100 MW.

PLN Indonesia Power said that the MoU would enable the company to partake in the tender.

“This marks our first project in Bangladesh. We hope everything goes well. This is part of the company’s strategy to cement our position in the global market,” PLN Indonesia Power president director Bernadus Sudarmanta was quoted as saying in a press release.

CUSP chairman and Bay Group managing director Ziaur Rahman said that the company trusted PLN Indonesia Power’s capabilities and experience.

“We hope this partnership can support the sustainable development of solar power in Bangladesh,” Rahman stated.

Bangladesh is shifting to solar power in response to the Iran war-induced fuel price hikes. The country’s heavy reliance on imported oil has made Bangladesh vulnerable to energy shocks. Prior to the tenders, progress on renewable energy in Bangladesh had been sluggish, according to news agency Reuters.

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