Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) has now turned its focus on promoting rooftop solar systems for both industries and public infrastructures.
in this regard, IDCOL is seeking around Tk 10 billion in credit from the central bank to finance the installation of an additional 300 megawatts of electricity for industrial rooftop solar systems, officials said.
the agency, well-known for illuminating rural areas by financing solar home systems, the largest off-grid renewable energy initiative in the world, has recently requested the fund from the Green Transformation Fund (GTF).
the GTF, operated by the central bank, has a combined size of US$200 million, pound 200 million, and Tk 50 billion. Banks and financial institutions can borrow from it at rates as low as 1.0 per cent, while customers receive loans at a maximum rate of 5 per cent.
iDCOL Chairman Shahriar Kader Siddiky, also secretary of Economic Relations Division, wrote in a recent letter to the Bangladesh Bank governor that the new Net Metering Guidelines 2025 aim to promote rooftop solar for industries by encouraging both capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX) models, as well as local manufacturing of solar equipment.