Ha-Meem Group has installed a second rooftop solar power plant capable of producing 4.4-megawatt peak (MWp) of electricity, raising its total renewable power generating capacity to 12.2MWp.

MWp measures the maximum power output of a solar photovoltaic (PV) system under ideal conditions. The group says this is the largest PV system among those at Bangladeshi-owned garment and textile factories.

The country's largest industrial rooftop solar power system was installed at the Korean Export Processing Zone in Chattogram in 2020.

This plant, operated by Youngone Corporation, currently generates 40MWp of electricity and is scheduled to produce 50MWp by the end of this year.

The latest PV system in Ha-Meem Group Industrial Park at Gazipur's Kaliganj upazila was installed by FloSolar Solutions, a local company, while the previous one was installed by Solaric, a subsidiary of a Singapore-based company.

The 12.2MWp system cost around Tk 54 crore, with approximately Tk 7 crore coming as a grant from the "Program to Support Safety Retrofits and Environmental Upgrades in the Bangladeshi Ready-Made Garments Sector."

Ha-Meem Group says this is the largest solar PV system among those at Bangladeshi-owned garment and textile factories.

"The company is committed to global sustainability forums and buyer compliance requirements for renewable energy," said Tanul Chokroborty, in charge of the energy department at Ha-Meem Group.

Ha-Meem Group aims to reach net zero by 2050, meaning balancing the amount of greenhouse gases it produces with the amount it removes from the atmosphere.

It plans to install another 15MWp rooftop solar power plant at its textile division factories by June 2026, bringing the total capacity to 27.2MWp.

"However, this will reduce our total carbon emissions by only 6 percent," Chokroborty noted.

"To offset all our emissions and achieve net-zero status, we will need an additional 300 MWp, which we plan to implement on the ground at our tea garden in Moulvibazar," he added.

The latest initiative will ensure an average of four hours of power supply to the group's garment and washing factories per day, said Mustafa AK Khan, founder and managing director of FloSolar Solutions.

The engineering and commissioning were completed last July, while the inverters, which convert direct current into alternating current, are being procured from Dubai-based company Powernsun, as they are known for their stability and reliability, he said.

The solar system is expected to significantly reduce electricity costs, generate a substantial amount of clean energy annually, and cut carbon emissions, he added.

"As foreign buyers encourage increased use of renewable energy, more factories are expressing interest in adopting similar solutions," he said.

"Completing the 4.4MWp solar rooftop project at Ha-Meem Group Industrial Park is a testament to our commitment to accelerating the global transition to renewable energy," said LK Verma, founder and CEO of Powernsun, in a press release.

"We are proud to have partnered with FloSolar Solutions on this initiative, showcasing the efficiency and reliability of the Sungrow inverters in industrial applications," he said.