DHAKA, Oct. 13: Bangladesh on Thursday joined the global wind power club with the inauguration of its Cox's Bazar wind power project.
The wind power project, located in Bangladesh's southeastern Cox's Bazar district, some 400 km away from capital Dhaka, is invested by Wuling Power Corp., a subsidiary of China's State Power Investment Corp. (SPIC), and built by PowerChina Chengdu Engineering Corp..
Upon operation, the project will provide Bangladesh with about 145 million kWh of clean electricity per year, reduce coal consumption by 44,600 tons and carbon dioxide emissions by 109,200 tons, as well as meet the electricity demand of 100,000 households.
Nepal faces Pakistan in opener
"It's a major watershed in our nation's journey towards cleaner and more sustainable energy," said Md. Habibur Rahman, senior secretary of Power Division under Bangladesh's Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, when addressing the launching ceremony.
This project will not only provide clean electricity to thousands of households but also contribute significantly to reducing the country's reliance on fossil fuels. It will also have a positive impact on Bangladeshi environment, improve air quality, and mitigate the effects of climate change, the official noted.
"The successful operation of this project marks a new era for the wind power industry in Bangladesh," Md. Jashim Uddin, Bangladeshi ambassador to China, said via video link.
Wuling Power Chief Executive Officer Liu Xingyi said this project demonstrates the broad potential for China-Bangladesh energy cooperation. Wuling Power will work for providing green energy solutions for Bangladesh's Vision 2041 national strategic plan, according to him.
"The historic introduction of wind power by Chinese enterprises to Bangladesh marks a milestone of the bilateral cooperation in new energy sector," Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen noted.
Yao said that Bangladesh is endowed with abundant solar, wind and tidal-flat resources, while the South Asian country has an immense power demand.
China stands ready to help Bangladesh develop new energy, Yao said.
(Xinhua)
