China powers up Bangladesh BRI wind power project
China Economic Net reports that the first centralized wind power project in Bangladesh, the Cox’s Bazar wind power project, is connected to the grid and started power generation on Thursday, according to its operator China’s State Power Investment Corp.
This was the first China-constructed new-energy project in Bangladesh.
The project will provide Bangladesh with about 145 million kilowatt hours of clean electricity per year, reduce coal consumption by 44,600 tons and carbon dioxide emissions by 109,200 tons, while meeting the electricity demand of 100,000 households.
The wind power project, located in Bangladesh’s southeastern Cox’s Bazar district, some 400 kilometers away from capital Dhaka, has investment by Wuling Power Corp, a subsidiary of SPIC, and built by PowerChina Chengdu Engineering Corp.
Bangladesh is endowed with abundant solar and wind resources, while the South Asian country also has an immense power demand.
SPIC has been stepping up investment in clean energy in overseas market in recent years, especially in countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.
The company sees its installed capacity overseas reaching 9 million kilowatts so far, with operations spanning 47 countries and regions, including Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Brazil, Australia, among others. 38 of them are countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.
According to the Global Times, the project will not only push forward Bangladesh’s wind power development, but is also of great significance in aiding the coordinated development of the surrounding agriculture and tourism industries, and to transform and upgrade Bangladesh’s power grid and support the country’s high-quality green development.
Bangladesh is a key partner country of China under the Belt and Road Initiative which has become a key pillar of China-Bangladesh cooperation. In recent years, bilateral relations have become increasingly strong and trade between China and Bangladesh in 2022 reached $27.79 billion, a year-on-year increase of 10.7 percent, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce.
Sources:
- China Economic Net, 2023-10-13. http://en.ce.cn/…/202310/13/t20231013_38748471.shtml
- Global Times, May 29, 2023. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202305/1291550.shtml