Bangladesh’s Fossil Fuel Misadventure Offers Sobering Lessons on What Not To Do For a Proper Energy Transition

The country’s energy strategy’s original sin was a huge overestimation of the power demand growth curve. With the passage of the Quick Enhancement of Electricity and Energy Supply (Special Provisions) Act 2010, the government went full throttle on multiplying power generation, resulting in an installed capacity that far outweighed maximum generation (over 40%), raising the number of power plants from 27 in 2009 to 144 as of 2024.

What Not To Do For a Proper Energy Transition

Bangladesh’s Fossil Fuel Misadventure Offers Sobering Lessons on how reliance on expensive fossil fuels can lead to economic turmoil, underscoring the need to proactively transition to cleaner energy sources. 

বিদ্যুৎ খাত কীভাবে দুষ্টচক্রে আটকে আছে?

কেন এবং কীভাবে বিদ্যুৎ খাত দুষ্টচক্রে আটকে আছে? টিবিএস’র এক রাউন্ড টেবিল বৈঠকে তারই বিশ্লেষণ করেছেন সিপিডি’র গবেষণা পরিচালক ড. খন্দকার গোলাম মোয়াজ্জেম।

The roadmap for energy sector must be changed

At the root of the problem lies the neo-liberal ideological approach that since then turned the power sector into a profit-making enterprise for a handful of local and foreign businesses.

এলএনজি আমদানির বকেয়া বিল ৬০০ মিলিয়ন ডলার ছাড়িয়েছে

তরলীকৃত প্রাকৃতিক গ্যাস (এলএনজি) আমদানি ও মার্কিন জ্বালানি কোম্পানি শেভরন থেকে কেনা গ্যাসের বকেয়া বিলের পরিমাণ দাঁড়িয়েছে ৬০৭ মিলিয়ন ডলার।

Cimate activists demand urgent revision of energy plan

Sohanur Rahman, Executive Coordinator of YouthNet for Climate Justice, emphasized the critical nature of their demands: “We are at a pivotal moment. It’s time to overhaul our energy policies and fully commit to a just transition to renewable energy. Bangladesh’s youth demand immediate action to ensure a climate-resilient future. Our leaders must act decisively before it’s too late.”

2023 Integrated Energy & Power Master Plan: The numbers don’t add up

In late November 2023, the Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources unveiled the IEPMP. Its goal was ambitious: a sweeping, long-term roadmap designed to guide Bangladesh’s energy future, all the while nodding to the global push towards decarbonisation. However, given that previous master plans have often been ignored or poorly implemented by former governments, there’s scepticism about whether the 2050 ambitious goals can truly be achieved.