Jun 30, 2024
| Staff Reporter | Dhaka Tribune
Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) and Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network (CLEAN) jointly organized a roundtable meeting titled “Renewable Energy: Pathway to Sustainable Development in Bangladesh” at The Business Standard in Dhaka on Sunday.
Hasan Mehedi, the chief executive of CLEAN, said: “Twice the space is available to produce 100% of Bangladesh’s electricity needs. In this case, it is possible to meet the entire demand by using specific land, water bodies and roofs. There are currently 402,617 acres in the country against the 207,294 acres required for renewable energy production.”
BD Rahmatullah, former director general of the Power Cell of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, said: “The cost of setting up each 100-megawatt power plant based on fossil fuels is Tk1,300 crore, while the cost of renewable energy is Tk600-Tk700 crore. The Matabari power project costs Tk29 crore per megawatt of electricity, Rooppur power plant costs Tk51 crore per megawatt of electricity, while the world’s highest cost of fossil fuel-based electricity production is Tk26 crore.”
According to him, while there is no shortage of economic and technical management in setting up 100% renewable energy-based power plants in the country, there is a lack of political and administrative will.
Executive Director of Centre for Policy Dialogue Fahmida Khatun said that although a large part of the country’s budget is allocated to the power sector, it is not specific to renewable energy. According to her, the country’s economy will largely depend on the policies adopted on power generation. When the price of fuel increases in the global market, its reflection is not seen in the domestic market, which is a negative example of our power management.
Change Initiative Chief Executive Zakir Hossain urged the government to adopt a road map for power generation and renewable energy management. He said the renewable energy component import tax can be withdrawn as only a 10% carbon tax can generate $0.9 billion. As a result, renewable energy will expand.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, CEO of BELA, said in the current context, the legislation on renewable energy is very important for Bangladesh. She analyzed that the laws and policies of various countries on renewable energy and taking into consideration the current reality of Bangladesh, she urged to prepare a draft law and submit it to the government. Representatives of the government organizations and stakeholders attended the event.
News Link: BELA, CLEAN hold panel discussion on renewable energy