For more than 40 years, the Federal Republic of Germany and the People’s Republic of Bangladesh have maintained a cordial bilateral relationship. Soon after Bangladesh achieved independence in 1972, Germany started to provide technical and financial support to the nation. Renewable energies and energy efficiency is one of the priority areas where these two countries collaborate. On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, in collaboration with the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA), is implementing the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Programme (REEEP).

REEEP, previously branded as the Sustainable Energy for Development (SED) project, has made significant contributions and impacts on creating the enabling conditions required to disseminate renewable energy and increase energy efficiency in Bangladesh.

In collaboration with its Government Partners, GIZ has worked on a diverse range of interventions-including improved rice parboiling system, retained heat cooker, solar water pumping system, waste heat recovery from power plants, efficient utilisation of natural lighting, energy efficient LED lighting, waste-to-energy, biogas technology and grid connected solar rooftops, among others. Programme inputs include pilot implementation to ensure market sustainability, focus on building technological and human resources capacity and aim to develop innovative financial mechanisms and a regulatory environment. The programme also co-operates widely with supply and demand-side stakeholders, financial institutions and regulatory authorities.

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Programme (REEEP) is working on:

• developing framework conditions for promotion of renewable energy and energy efficiency through policy advocacy and institutional development of the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA);
• developing locally customised technological solutions on sustainable energy delivery and establishing business cases through successful piloting;
• facilitating market uptake of successful business models through capacity development of service providers, promoting access to finance and leveraging sustainable ownership.