SINGAPORE, July 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The ‘Summit-Friendship Solar Village’ project, located in Kabilpur within the Gaibandha district of Bangladesh, has received the prestigious Reuters’ Global Energy Transition Awards 2024 under the ‘Projects of Impact’ category in New York, USA on 25th June 2024. Among 500 entries this year from around the globe, this project was nominated for its concrete results in terms of improved energy affordability, and compensation for losses to improve local resilience for climate change.
The ‘Summit-Friendship Solar Village’ project announced as one of the winners at the Reuters’ Global Energy Transition Awards 2024 under the ‘Projects of Impact’ category in New York, USA.
This 57.6 kW scalable solar microgrid now benefits the 3,000 inhabitants of Kabilpur, Gaibandha. Kabilpur itself is a char—a remote sedimentary landmass found within a river—but finds itself ideally placed to act as hub for neighbouring chars within the Jamuna River, upon which it is situated.
"Summit wants to serve 100% of Bangladesh with infrastructure such as electricity and communication. Most chars fall outside the national grid. I believe these chars, like the rest of Bangladesh, deserve electricity. The award-winning NGO, Friendship, has done wonders. It’s a privilege to provide solar energy to the 3,000 people of Kabilpur Char in association with Friendship," remarked Muhammed Aziz Khan, Chairman of Summit Power International.
"Anyone who has seen the Jamuna River in its full might will understand that mainline power grids are not really possible here. On the other hand, this solar grid will provide income-generating opportunities and livelihoods, as well as opportunities for children’s education in order for hope and dignity to thrive. We want to thank Summit for its support," said Runa Khan, the founder of Friendship.
The solar village plays an integral role in allowing people from these isolated communities to have access to "modern" amenities, and have longer operational hours for both business and commerce, alongside academics and home use. Additionally, renewable solar energy also equates to less reliance on traditional kerosene lamps, which burn fossil fuels with toxic consequences.
About Summit Power International
Summit Group is the largest infrastructure conglomerate in Bangladesh. Summit Power International Ltd (SPI), headquartered in Singapore, is the largest Independent Power Producer (IPP) in Bangladesh reflecting 17% of Bangladesh’s total private installed capacity and 7% of nation’s total installed capacity. In addition, it owns and operates a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) vessel and supplies 500 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of regasified LNG to Bangladesh. In 2019, Summit’s FSRU received equity investment from Mitsubishi Corporation. In 2019, JERA Co., Inc. (JERA), had acquired a 22% stake in Summit Power International. Recently, it has proposed the development of the country’s third FSRU and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has provided in-principle approval of the proposal in mid-June 2023. Most notably, the Meghnaghat II, which is a dual-fuel CCGT GE H Class plant with gross capacity of 590 MW on LNG, achieved the commercial operation date milestone on 26 April 2024.
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