Published :
Updated :
For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
Only 3.0 per cent of the surveyed readymade garment factories, which mainly depend on the national grid for power supply, meet their energy requirements through renewable sources, according to a new study.
And the renewable energy comes exclusively from solar panels.
The majority, or 61.5 per cent, of factories' energy consumption comes from the national grid, while 35.5 per cent comes from captive power, a report by Mapped in Bangladesh (MiB) revealed.
Though rooftop solar shows potential, physical limitations remain significant as only about 5.8 per cent of total floor space is currently suitable for solar installations.
And full utilisation of available rooftop space could cover only around 14 per cent of total energy demand under current efficiency levels.
Mapped in Bangladesh surveyed some 878 export-oriented garment factories located in Gazipur (616) and Narayanganj (262) between November 2023 and May 2024 to assess energy consumption patterns, renewable energy adoption, emissions profiles, and rooftop solar potential.
MiB team members Faizul Islam and ANM Ata Ullah jointly shared the findings at a programme held on Tuesday at a city hotel. Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood was present as the chief guest.
MiB, a digital platform, maps the country’s export-oriented RMG factories and is implemented by the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (CED) at BRAC University.
Around 80 per cent of factories receive less than 1.0 per cent of their total energy from renewable sources, and only 5.0 per cent of factories source more than 10 per cent of their energy from renewables, according to the report.
Large factories show comparatively higher diversification in energy sourcing, while small and micro factories remain highly dependent on grid electricity.
Renewable energy adoption among smaller factories remains below 1.0 per cent, it showed.
The surveyed factories consume approximately 70.2 million kWh of electricity per month, generating an estimated 46.1 million kg of CO₂ emissions monthly.