Grameenphone has inaugurated a 325-kilowatt-peak (kWp) solar power plant at its data centre in Sylhet, the largest installation of its kind at a data centre in Bangladesh, as the telecommunications operator steps up efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.
The plant, developed by Grameenphone with ZTE as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor, comprises 450 high-efficiency solar panels and is expected to generate more than 300 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity.
The installation is also expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 188 tonnes a year, supporting the company’s target of cutting CO₂ emissions by 50% by 2030 from its 2019 baseline.
Yasir Azman, chief executive officer of Grameenphone, inaugurated the facility in the presence of the company’s chief technology officer, Abul Kasem Mohiuddin Al-Amin; chief financial officer, Otto Magne Risbakk; chief marketing officer, Farha Naz Zaman; and Mao Junyong, chief executive officer of ZTE Bangladesh.
Azman said the expansion of digital services in Bangladesh must be accompanied by investment in reliable, future-ready and environmentally responsible infrastructure.
“Achieving this requires us to continuously explore cleaner energy solutions and integrate sustainable practices across our operations,” he said.
The Sylhet installation was a practical step towards reducing the company’s environmental impact while strengthening the digital infrastructure serving millions of customers, he added.
ZTE Bangladesh chief executive Mao Junyong said the project demonstrated how advanced technology and renewable energy could be combined to develop more energy-efficient digital infrastructure.
He said the partnership could provide an example for the telecommunications and data centre industries as Bangladesh seeks to build a greener digital economy.