Bangladesh offers rooftop solar incentives to ease power shortages

DHAKA: Bangladesh has launched an incentive programme for rooftop solar systems with battery storage, aiming to ease power shortages and reduce the country’s dependence on imported fuels. The South Asian nation of 175 million people is grappling with its worst power shortages in years, exacerbated by a lack of natural gas and concerns over global fuel supplies as the Iran war stokes broader Middle East tensions. Under the programme, consumers installing eligible rooftop solar systems by February 28, 2027 will receive 10.50 taka ($0.086) per kilowatt-hour for surplus electricity fed into the national grid for three years, according to a government notification. Bangladesh aims to generate 20% of its electricity, or about 5,500 megawatts, from renewable sources by 2030, with the share rising to 30% by 2040, as it seeks to cut reliance on imported fossil fuels. The announcement comes after power shortages climbed to nearly 4,000 megawatts at their peak in August, triggering widespread outages across the country. A shortage of natural gas has left power plants operating below capacity, while constraints on coal and fuel oil supplies have added to pressure on the electricity system. The