Bangladesh: Scale-Up for Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Development

Building on a highly successful pilot program concluded in 2015, which benefitted over 2.2 million low-income earners in Bangladesh through the installation of solar home systems (SHS) this scale-up expands access to renewable energy to also include mini-grids, solar irrigation pumps, and biogas plants.

The project, supported by a $15 million grant from DFID, fhe World Bank Group, the Government of Bangladesh, and other development partners, targeted low-income households in remote areas. Project implementation was to be gender-inclusive, with service providers targeting local women in marketing strategies and customer trainings, and consulting them during the installation process.

Outputs: The GPOBA grant brought down the capital cost of renewable energy io make the investment affordable to low-income rural, remote areas. This funding supported installation of 497,608 solar home systems, benefitting over 2.2 million people, and 41 solar irrigation pumps (SIPs), benefitting 1,356 poor farmers, as well as a 100 kW mini-grid, supplying energy to 253 poor rural households.