Experts have emphasized on formulating and implementing plans to ensure safe use of energy, including safe supply of primary energy, proper mixing of the right fuel to ensure sustainable development.
On Saturday, such an opinion came up in a webinar titled "Sustainable Development of Energy-Power Sector and Budget for 2021-22". Energy and Power Magazine organized the virtual event conducted by its Editor Mollah Amzad Hossain.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said uninterrupted power and energy supply would ensure sustainable development. An integrated plan with power and energy has been taken to build a prosperous Bangladesh. Subsidies on electricity and gas have been continued to boost the growth of the industry.
He said Dhaka city alone uses 46% electricity. In order to balance the use of electricity, rapid industrialization is required in certain places in other big cities of the country. System loss will be reduced if factories are set up in certain places.
‘Initiatives to re-evaluate plans for setting up coal power plants will be included in the next master plan. According to a survey in Dighipara, more than 12 percent of coal cannot be extracted from underground mines. Since it will not be profitable, mining is not being considered. Again, there is a crisis of infrastructure to import coal. New infrastructure is being considered for LNG imports,’ Nasrul said.
Abdul Aziz Khan, Chairman of Summit Group, said, “There has been a lot of development in Bangladesh. Power and energy are the major contributors behind this. We are faced with a new challenge, Net Zero. We emit the least carbon in the world. The USA emits most of the carbon. They are using 5,000 cc cars, but don't talk about it.
Mohammad Hossain, Director General of Power Cell presented the keynote paper at the webinar and said, "We have provided electricity to 99 percent of the houses. But the question remains as to how much reliable power we can provide. We have captive power, the industry has questions about uninterrupted power. It is said that our generation is surplus but we are not getting uninterrupted power. Transmission and distribution could not be given importance like generation. We are now focused on that place.’
Energy expert Professor M Tamim said that ‘some 55 percent of electricity is being generated from gas. Destruction of gas production can come down at any time.
How to deal if it comes down. This is the current sustainability. On the other hand, if the LNG ship gets stuck in the middle of the sea due to a storm or some other reason, how will we recover it? Crisis can happen if we can't keep storage. The world is now moving towards renewable energy. However, we are almost 100% dependent on fossil fuels.’
Executive Director of the Policy Research Institute, Ahsan H. Mansoor said, the main problem is in the village, there is load shedding of electricity almost every day. We have to pay more attention here. Our per capita energy consumption is much less. Besides, energy prices are still higher in Bangladesh than in other countries.
Abul Kashem Khan, former president of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that if power and energy prices go up, it will be difficult to survive in the competition. It will be difficult to stand on the basis of labor alone. It is important to ensure affordable energy.
‘Production of gas has now come down to 2,500 mmcfd, and may further decrease. There is no opportunity to increase LNG imports in the next 3-4 years. I think primary fuel is a big challenge. So we have to go towards green energy,’ he added.
Among others, former chairman of NBR Dr. Abdul Majid, and Energy expert Khandaker Abdus Salek also spoke at the virtual event.
