Low bids persist in second phase of solar tender
For the second phase, BPDB received only 21 bids for 10 proposed solar plants, after selling 46 bid documents
Highlights:
- BPDB struggles to attract bidders for 55 solar power plants totalling 5,238 MW
- Four tender packages floated from Dec 2024 to Mar 2025 for 55 solar sites
- First phase tender got weak response, 2nd phase also got only 21 bids for 10 plants
- Tender submission deadline extended five times due to weak bidder response
The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) is struggling to attract bidders for its 55 grid-tied solar power plants with a total capacity of 5,238 megawatts, as the second tender package also failed to draw sufficient interest following a weak response to the first.
For the second phase, BPDB received only 21 bids for 10 proposed solar plants, after selling 46 bid documents.
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Under the second package, BPDB aims to construct 10 grid-tied solar power plants, each with a capacity of 50 megawatts, totalling 500 MW scattered across different parts of the country.
Facing a lukewarm response from potential bidders, BPDB has extended the tender submission and opening dates five times.
The second tender was initially floated on 8 January, with a deadline for document submission and bid opening set for 10 March, but the process stalled due to poor response.
BPDB then extended the deadline twice, setting 15 May for submission and bid opening, before postponing it three more times, finally scheduling the bid opening for 18 June.
Bid documents reveal that out of the 10 proposed plants, three received only a single bid each, while one plant attracted two bids.
Among the 21 bids submitted, Max Infrastructure Limited stood out by bidding for eight plants and was the sole bidder for three of them.
Speaking to TBS about the low response in the solar power sector, BPDB Chairman Md Rezaul Karim said, "Solar power is very new to us. Despite that, we are working to attract potential bidders and are trying to accommodate their requirements."
"Solar power is very new to us. Despite that, we are working to attract potential bidders and are trying to accommodate their requirements."
Earlier, BPDB floated four international tender packages between 5 December 2024 and 19 March 2025 to install 5,238 megawatts of grid-tied solar power at 55 sites across Bangladesh.
Who bid for which plant?
Bid documents show that the proposed 50MW solar power plant tied to the Cox's Bazar (North) 132/33 kV Grid Substation received three bids from Max Infrastructure Limited, Karnafuli-Baraka Sikalbaha Consortium, and Confidence Power Bogra Unit-2 Ltd. Another plant tied to the Cox's Bazar 132/33 kV Grid Substation also drew bids from the same three entities.
For the Gopalganj plant linked to a 132/33 kV substation, three bids were submitted by Max Infrastructure Limited, Desh Energy Chandpur Power Co Ltd, and a joint venture between Business Research Int Corporation Inc and Changzhou Trina Intelligence Energy Engineering Ltd.
Max Infrastructure Limited was the sole bidder for the Chuadanga plant tied to a 132/33 kV substation. The Jaldhaka plant received three bids from Max Infrastructure Limited, Concord Pragatee Consortium Ltd, and Pinnacle Zhongbingtai International BD Ltd.
In Panchagarh, Max Infrastructure Limited and Confidence Power Bogra Unit-2 Ltd submitted bids for the 50MW plant tied to the local grid substation. For the Faridpur plant, Max Infrastructure Limited was again the only bidder.
The Bibiyana 230/132/33 kV Grid Substation-tied plant saw bids from PHL-PTL JV (Paramount), Desh Energy Chandpur Power Co Ltd, and MTL-CHI-PCL-MSL JV. Max Infrastructure Limited was the lone bidder for the plant tied to the Muktagacha 132/33 kV Grid Substation, while MTL-CHI-PCL-MSL JV was the only bidder for the Shahjibazar-tied plant.
