Bangladesh’s tenders for 41 solar power plants totalling 2.63 GW have failed to draw any bids, as investors are holding back from projects launched between December and January.
The 41 solar power projects tendered by the Bangladesh Power Development Bank (BPDB) between December and January have failed to attract a single bid, forcing the state-run utility to repeatedly extend submission deadlines.
The solar plants, ranging in capacity from 10 MW to 100 MW, are expected to generate a combined 2.633 GW of electricity.
BPDB extended the bid deadline for its first tender, launched on Dec. 5, twice, while the deadlines for two other tenders, issued on Dec. 8 and Jan. 27, received their first extensions.
BPDB officials said bidders have purchased a significant number of documents for the first tender, but no proposals have been submitted. Document sales for the second and third tenders are ongoing, with submission deadlines now extended until April.
Golam Mortuza, director of Bangladeshi independent power producer Cell-1, told pv magazine that the BPDB relaxed many conditions following requests from potential investors at pre-bid meetings and could consider further revisions if necessary.
Still, investors view the projects as “not bankable” under current terms, citing the absence of government guarantees and difficulty securing financing. The BPDB has also set Bangladesh as the place of arbitration, which foreign developers and lenders reportedly find unacceptable.
