EU, Germany, Bangladesh Launch Agrivoltaics Pilot Project To Revolutionize Renewable Energy And Agriculture

On November 20, 2025, in Brussels and dhaka, the european union, Germany and Bangladesh held the inauguration of a new agrivoltaics agrivoltaic pilot scheme that works to combine the production of renewable solar energy with sustainable agricultural practices at scale; as part of their collaborative €400m partnership agreement on renewable energy, this initiative will respond to climate change by improving food security and empowering rural communities in Bangladesh and is another important step towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's).

The experimental plan, in the northern section of Rajshahi district in Bangladesh, comprises agricultural production and photovoltaic (PV) solar panels on the same space. Farmers can optimize their land use and limit energy costs with elevated solar arrays for animal husbandry and staple crop production directly underneath the solar panels. With shading control and evaporation reduction, this "dual land use" mechanism should produce increased crop yields, producing approximately 75 MW of renewable energy annually.
Germany has mobilized technical support for the project's design and implementation using its own renewable energy infrastructure experience. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) allocated €7 million to support the energy storage systems and smart grid integration, establishing reliable energy supply if direct sun is lacking. Jutta Urpilainen, EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, stated that "this project is a fantastic example of the dual benefit of innovation to drive decarbonization, and rural development."

By year 2041, Bangladesh intends to get 40% of its energy generation through renewable sources. Additionally, being one of the most severely impacted countries by climate change, through the agrivoltaics project in achieving this renewable energy target along with addressing some to the energy deficiencies and assisting with climate change adaptation in many of these remote areas that have been economically disadvantaged. The Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources will lead the agrivoltaics project and incorporate it into a raj of existing initiatives to develop wind energy and solar photovoltaic.

This initiative is part of the EU's Global Gateway initiative, which aims to mobilise €300 billion for infrastructure projects beyond Europe by 2027. The European Union and the European Investment Bank (EIB) committed a €350 million loan and €45 million in technical assistance under this initiative. Aside from the agrivoltaics pilot, it concerns additional larger renewable energy projects, such as utility-scale solar and wind farms in Bangladesh.

Bifacial High-Efficiency Solar Panels: By incorporating a tracking system that tracks the sun and adjusts the angle of the panels to match that of the sun, powerful solar power-generating technologies appropriately utilize high-efficiency bifacial solar panels with minimal power usage.

IOT-Enabled Farming: IoT technology is enabling farmers worldwide to use sensors that provide real-time data about their crops' health and soil moisture levels so they can apply fertilizers and water at specific times to maximize crop production.

Energy Storage System: Excess energy produced by a solar panel or battery can be stored in a rechargeable battery for later use at night. This means that the cold storage unit and irrigation pump (whatever the time of day) will operate correctly and efficiently.

The effort will train local farmers to oversee the hybrid systems. According to preliminary research, the project might boost household earnings by 20–30% through a variety of revenue streams, such as trading extra energy and selling crops.