Bangladesh is moving ahead with plans to establish a 430-megawatt grid-tied solar power plant at Matarbari in Cox’s Bazar, replacing previously planned coal-fired facilities at the coastal industrial and transport hub.

Officials from the Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Limited (CPGCBL) said the state-owned firm will soon conduct a detailed feasibility study, including environmental and social impact assessments, for the proposed solar project. The initiative marks a major shift in the country’s energy strategy toward clean power generation.

The land selected for the solar facility had originally been earmarked for a 1,200MW ultra-super-critical coal plant, but that project was scrapped as part of the government’s transition away from coal.

The Matarbari site will now be utilized to produce renewable energy in line with the government’s Renewable Energy Policy 2025, which aims to generate 20 percent of electricity from renewables by 2030 and 30 percent by 2040.

According to officials, about 1,200–1,300 acres of land will be required for the solar complex—land that CPGCBL already owns in Matarbari. The company had initially acquired 1,608 acres for the coal project, including 315 acres previously set aside for a smaller 130MW solar installation.

In addition to Matarbari, CPGCBL had obtained another 1,350 acres in Maheshkhali for a 1,200MW coal-fired plant in partnership with Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation.

That project was also cancelled in 2021, with the company now pursuing a 300MW solar power and 1,200MW re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG)-based power plant on the same site.

This week, CPGCBL invited Expressions of Interest (EoI) from local consulting firms to carry out the Matarbari project’s feasibility study. Submissions are due by November 24.

The consultants will assess the site’s solar potential and physical conditions, analyse different technological configurations, and recommend the most viable design and components. They will also help CPGCBL attract investment, develop a business model, and evaluate environmental, social, and climate-related impacts.

The study will incorporate sustainability and disaster-risk analyses, resulting in a comprehensive feasibility report that will guide the project’s next phase. Officials say the initiative demonstrates Bangladesh’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions and expanding its renewable energy capacity while repurposing land that was once destined for fossil-fuel projects.