Summit’s 2nd LNG terminal deal cancelled for good
The Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) operated by Summit in the Bay of Bengal is vital for Bangladesh’s gas supply. However, both it and the FSRU operated by Excelerate Energy face security concerns due to a lack of dedicated surveillance. Operators have long sought government security support, but progress on essential measures has stalled since April despite annual meetings. Photo: SUMMIT POWER INTERNATIONAL WEBSITE
How policy inconsistency drives foreign firms away from Bangladesh’s solar projects
The new solar power projects floated by the interim government are riskier for investors as the tender conditions allow for payment delay or defaults alongside power purchase contract cancellation without enough compensation, experts and investors said on Saturday.
Govt should review, renegotiate independent power plants
THIS is worrying that the power sector continues to bleed as the government keeps paying high capacity charges, an arrangement that allows investors in the sector profits based on their investment rather than the services, to some plants approved without tender during the previous Awami League regime, toppled in a mass uprising on August 5, 2024. Energy experts, referring to a Power Development Board analysis, say that this was how the Awami League government set up a mechanism to channel public money into private pockets, noting that there has also been inadequacy in initiatives on part of the interim government, installed on August 8, 2024, to take steps against such investors making predatory profits.
Transforming power sector for net zero
AS 2025 dawns, Bangladesh is shaping up its commitment to cut emissions under the Paris Agreement. While the South Asian country is trying to bring its economy and governance back on track, the moment is ripe to drive a major reorientation in the country’s energy and power sector. Reforms are critical in this particular sector as its future pathway will have enormous consequences for our economy, environment and governance.
Power producers demand payment of half of dues within 10 days to avert Ramadan blackout
Local independent power producers (IPPs) have urged the government to clear at least half of their outstanding dues, approximately Tk9,000 crore, within 10 days to prevent power shortages during the upcoming Ramadan in March and the subsequent rice-growing season, which requires heavy irrigation.
Why the energy and power master plan must be reviewed
The Integrated Energy and Power Master Plan (IEPMP) of Bangladesh, aiming to outline a strategy for the country’s energy and power sector up to 2050, was approved in 2023. In addition to the overall supply and demand scenario in the sector, this document outlines the role of renewable energy and clean energy in the electricity mix for the planning period.
Key takeaways from Energy Prosperity 2050: ‘No Electricity No Pay’ for renewable energy
The Bangladesh Energy Prosperity 2050 conference concluded on Friday with significant policy recommendations aimed at transforming the country’s energy sector.
Experts advocated for the implementation of a ‘No Electricity No Pay’ policy for renewable power plants to alleviate fiscal pressures, along with a reduction in import duties for renewable energy components to spur sectoral growth.
Net metering rooftop systems: An opportunity for Bangladesh’s renewable energy goals
The policy encourages self-consumption of generated electricity, with surplus power sold back to the utility at any voltage level, offering a win-win for both producers and the grid.
Bangladesh’s Renewable Energy (RE) Policy 2008 set ambitious targets of meeting 5% of total power demand through renewables by 2015 and 10% by 2020. However, renewable energy today accounts for only 3.5% of the country’s installed generation capacity—far short of these goals.
Bangladesh Sinks in Crisis Acting on Japan’s Fossil-fuel-based Master Plans
Over the last one and a half decades, influential global players invested heavily in Bangladesh, particularly in the power and energy sector, supporting an almost seven-fold fossil fuel expansion promising sustained economic growth. The promise, however, was never fulfilled. At the same time, the investments contributed to establishing a power and energy system that pushed the South Asian nation into a myriad of crises, including the worst inflation in decades. Of all the global players who put Bangladesh into its current political, social and economic turmoil, one name is worth mentioning: Japan.
Japan-backed energy plan challenged in court
In a groundbreaking legal move, Bangladesh has become the first South Asian country to challenge the legality of a Japan-backed fossil fuel-based power plan with the Supreme Court (SC), marking a historic step towards climate justice. A writ petition has been filed with the SC challenging the legality of the ‘Integrated Energy and Power Master Plan (IEPMP) 2023’ recently. The plan directly contradicts Bangladesh’s Climate Prosperity Plan, and violates the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.
