Chinese firm in Bangladesh taps green energy

DHAKA－LDC Group, a Chinese garment manufacturer based in Gazipur on the outskirts of Bangladesh capital Dhaka, is making waves by embracing green power.

As elsewhere in the world, off-the-grid solar systems are becoming a popular form of alternative energy in Bangladesh. Many factories in the country are shifting toward solar power systems.

LDC, which was founded in 1997, is a prominent manufacturer of underwear, sportswear and outerwear. Its products made in Bangladesh are exported to Europe, North America, Australia, China and other parts of the world.

LDC's factories have consistently made concerted efforts to reduce their negative environmental impact.

Engineer Nazmul Likhon, a project official, said LDC has two factories that have many buildings. He said the roofs of those buildings have 2,400 solar panels with a power generation capacity of each about 400 watts.

"There are 330 solar panels on one building's roof and the capacity of each panel is 410 watts," he said, adding that a total of 10 inverters are in operation. The capacity of each inverter varies from 36 kilowatts to 110 kW, depending on the types of inverters used. These inverters will be directly connected to the main lines of the factories."

Likhon also said that all the equipment including solar panels, PP modules, textures, cable trays, cables, inverters, which have been used here, were made in, and imported from, China.

Shafiqur Rahman, executive director of Bangladesh Business Corporation, a private consulting agency, said Liz Fashion and Lida Textiles of LDC Group may be the first companies in Bangladesh that are implementing such a solar power project.

The project equipment has been supplied by two Chinese companies, he said, without disclosing their identities. "We're supervising this project on their behalf."

Jahangir Alam Joy, a senior officer of LDC Group, said initially this was just a small plan, and later on they realized that this type of project is much better and energy-efficient for the company, which is committed to switching toward green energy. "We're, therefore, doing it from small to big size. We want to give something like green energy to the society or the country as part of commitment to contribute to reducing carbon dioxide emissions."

He also said Chinese manufacturers are contemplating to use this kind of renewable solar energy in all its future projects in Bangladesh.

Xinhua