Janata Jute Mills becomes Bangladesh’s first carbon-neutral company

Janata Jute Mills Limited has become the first carbon-neutral company in Bangladesh and the world's first jute company to operate entirely on renewable energy, following the inauguration of a 17.84MWp solar power project at its factory in Boalmari upazila of Faridpur.

The project, financed by the Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) with support from German Development Bank (KfW), also includes an 8.36MWh battery energy storage system (BESS).

German Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr Rüdiger Lotz inaugurated the project at a ceremony on 5 November, attended by KfW Director Dr Kirk Mildner, IDCOL Head of Renewable Energy Md Enamul Karim Pavel and Akij Bashir Group Managing Director SK Bashir Uddin, among others.

The installation comprises rooftop, ground-mounted and floating solar systems, marking a significant step towards promoting renewable energy in Bangladesh's industrial sector.

The project is expected to generate 18,700 megawatt-hours of clean electricity annually and reduce carbon emissions by around 13,960 tonnes a year.

Speaking at the event, German Ambassador Rüdiger Lotz said the initiative demonstrated the strength of development cooperation between Germany and Bangladesh.

He said Germany remained committed to supporting Bangladesh's climate action goals through investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

IDCOL Head of Renewable Energy Enamul Karim Pavel said the company had revised its target to finance 1,000MWp of rooftop solar capacity by 2030, reflecting strong demand from the private sector.

IDCOL has so far financed around 370MWp of rooftop solar projects, with a pipeline exceeding 500MWp, he added.

Akij Bashir Group Managing Director SK Bashir Uddin said the project reinforced the group's commitment to sustainability and carbon neutrality.

He also said the group had joined the RE100 initiative, committing to source all its electricity from renewable energy. The group has partnered with IDCOL on 16 solar projects with a combined capacity of 157.44MWp.

Following the inauguration, the guests visited the solar facility and factory premises.