Germany and Bangladesh Plan to Build on Success of Smart Grid Project to Accelerate Renewable Energy Integration

Bangladesh today (30 November) celebrated the successful completion of German Development Cooperation's Energy Efficiency and Grid Integration of Renewable Energy (EEGIRE) II project, implemented by GIZ in partnership with the Government of Bangladesh, marking a significant milestone in modernising the national power grid to support the country's transition to clean energy.

A key achievement of the project has been the establishment of Grid Studies and Innovation Facilities (GSIF) at Power Grid Bangladesh—now expanded to West Zone Power Distribution Co. Ltd (WZPDCL), Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC), and Northern Electric Supply PLC (NESCO)—to strengthen grid infrastructure management.

The project also trained more than 400 power sector professionals on grid planning and renewable energy integration, established the country's first Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) learning facility at BUET, and installed Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) at eight grid substations to enhance real-time stability assessment.

The event was jointly organised by the Power Division, Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, and GIZ Bangladesh on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). "We have now reached a stage where our priorities shift toward deeper modernisation, digital transformation, and the integration of clean and renewable energy solutions," said Farzana Mamtaz, Secretary, Power Division, during her remarks as the Chief Guest.

"We aim to build a power system that is efficient, reliable, and financially sustainable to transition toward a more diversified and cleaner energy mix."

Since June 2021, the EEGIRE II project has worked to enhance the technical prerequisites for increasing distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) resources in the energy mix. The project has successfully moved beyond theoretical discussions to establish critical physical infrastructure and human capacity essential for a modern power sector.

GSIF, which started as a single innovation hub at Power Grid Bangladesh (PGB), has now grown to include three major distribution utilities, and is now building smart grid capacity at every level of the system. This ensures that the capacity for advanced grid management is anchored not just at the transmission level, but deep within the distribution networks where it matters most.

The event featured reflections from implementing partners, including PGB, DPDC, WZPDCL, NESCO, and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), as well as private sector technology partners.

Stakeholders discussed how the digital tools and learning facilities established by the project are transforming the way electricity distribution systems are planned and managed today (30 November). The workshop concluded with a consensus on the need to move from integration to smart management, with stakeholders committing to utilising the newly established facilities as active laboratories for the next phase of digital and regional grid management.

Senior representatives from the government, and development partners including the European Union and UN ESCAP, research institutions, private sector organisations, and academia attended the event.