Renewable energy: 4,000 MW projects fully planned by 2030, says Power Cell document
Despite government claims of 10,000 MW renewable energy projects in various stages of implementation, a Power Cell document indicates that only 4,000 MW worth of projects are fully planned by 2030. According to the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA), Bangladesh currently produces 1,374.35 MW from renewable sources, with 230 MW from hydropower and 1,080.36 MW from solar energy.
Severe gas shortage, power outage hits nation
Petrobangla, the state-owned oil, gas, and mineral resources corporation, has attributed the gas shortage to a reduction in liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply that occurred for nearly a month and a half due to the shutdown of a terminal. On the night of July 9, a pipeline in Chattogram was punctured, further exacerbating the situation.
One step closer to a better future through renewable energy in Bangladesh
It is high time for Bangladesh to explore new horizons of renewable energy to scale up electricity production and ensure a greener environment for our future generations. With the largest off-grid renewable energy (RE) network globally, we have progressed significantly since 1996 when only 15% of the population had access to electricity.
Beximco’s Teesta Solar powers up nat’l grid with 443.8 million units
Bangladesh’s largest solar power facility Teesta Solar Ltd has transmitted around 443.8 million units of electricity to the national grid in the past 15 months. Unlike conventional power plants that rely on gas, coal, or fossil fuels, the plant generates electricity without requiring fuel or incurring raw material costs — a capability it is expected to maintain until 2043.
Fiscal constraints may curtail Bangladesh’s LNG demand growth despite capacity expansion plans
“Bangladesh may opt for gas-fired peaking plants instead of only base-load plants to accommodate more renewable energy. It may seek to limit the LNG demand growth rate by frontloading energy efficiency in industrial processes and captive generation,” said the IEEFA.
Govt speeds up 12GW green power projects, some with storage
The Power Division is gearing up implementation of 125 green energy projects as it pursues a goal to meet 10% of the country’s power needs from renewables by 2025. The generation capacity of these projects will be 12,047 megawatts, more than the country’s present demand in winter and 70% of summer time consumption, according to Power Division officials.
Saudi Arabia’s $1.4bn financing to boost Bangladesh’s energy security
“Under this agreement, Bangladesh will get financing support from next July to June (2025),” Bangladesh Petroleum Corp. operations director, Kazi Muhammad Mozammel Huq, told Arab News. “We’ll mostly import crude oil with the financing of ITFC. In addition, a little portion of refined oil will be imported.”
Energy price hikes make clean energy compelling for Bangladesh
The Bangladesh government recently increased power tariffs for all consumer categories due to the upheavals caused by a significant gap between power generation costs and corresponding revenue. While inflationary pressures will likely remain high in the wake of electricity and gas price hikes, different energy consumers will now find clean energy investment more compelling.
High import duties stifle Bangladesh’s rooftop solar growth
Shafiqul Alam, Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis’ Lead Analyst for Bangladesh, pointed out the the critical issue of information asymmetry within the sector, which leaves potential adopters—building owners and EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) companies—unaware of the full benefits and changing regulations related to rooftop solar energy.
We need smart policymaking, not smart blame games in the energy sector
Smart politicians often project an image of strength and competence. When something goes wrong, they blame either fate or external shocks, especially in the energy sector. The capacity to shift blame onto factors seemingly beyond their control is viewed by these politicians as a display of smartness. The government’s justification behind increasing electricity prices is an example of this “smart blaming.”
