Category: Energy and Power

Kazakhstan has launched a National Project to modernize its energy and utility sectors for the period 2025-2029, with planned investments of 13 trillion tenge (over $24 billion).

the initiative aims to upgrade existing infrastructure and construct new power generation, transmission, and water supply systems. Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev announced the preliminary cost estimate during the ‘National Project for the Modernization of the Energy and Utility Sectors: Opportunities for Kazakh Business’ conference. According to Bozumbayev, the funds will support the repair and construction of 86,000 kilometers of utility networks and add 7.3 GW in new generation capacity. ‘Today, we have established the necessary regulatory framework to ensure long-term and affordable financing from financial institutions. We have now moved to the practical stage of the National Project.

this year, pilot investments of around 144 billion tenge ($266 million) have been raised for 48 natural monopoly entities,’ Bozumbayev stated. Financing will be sourced both domestically and internationally. The Kazakhstan Housing Company has already purchased bonds worth 22.5 billion tenge ($41 million) from local administrations in the Karaganda, Pavlodar, West Kazakhstan, and North Kazakhstan regions. The Development Bank of Kazakhstan is also finalizing assessments for selected projects.

Geoteric will supply its AI software to help PETRONAS Carigali firm up new exploration prospects, with the duo also planning to collaborate on new AI-based technology developments. Geoteric, a developer of AIdriven software, has signed an agreement to strengthen its partnership with PETRONAS Carigali.

it would involve use of AI to identify new hydrocarbon prospects more quickly increase the company’s drilling success rate and speed up its exploration activities in general. Geoteric claims that its service for integration into existing geoscience workflow, has helped deliver reductions in cycle times of up to 90%, helping geoscientists take faster, better informed decisions, and ultimately providing quicker payback on seismic data investments.

Affected farming and fishing communities held a protest yesterday at the site of the proposed Matarbari coal plant Phase 2, demanding that the Bangladesh government abandon plans to revive the controversial project. The action was part of Draw the Line, a global week of mobilization (September 1921) to demand urgent climate action, building momentum towards the UN climate talks COP30. In 2022, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) withdrew funding from Matarbari Phase 2 due to environmental concerns, after sustained pressure from international and local civil society organizations. Bangladesh officials recently indicated intentions to seek alternative funding sources to proceed with the 1,200 MW coal plant, to the dismay of climate group 350.org Bangladesh. ‘The world is moving away from coal, yet Bangladesh continues to burden its people with expensive, polluting projects that will lock us into decades of environmental destruction and debt,’ said Amanullah Porag, 350.org South Asia Mobilizations Coordinator. According to the International Energy Agency, after reaching a new high in 2024, global demand for coal is set to decline in the coming years, as renewable energy costs plummet. Over 40 countries have committed to phasing out coal power, and major financiers worldwide are divesting from coal projects.

China’s EV giant has unveiled the 14.5 MWh DC ‘Haohan’ single-unit DC block with record-breaking capacity to challenge next-generation energy storage market. BYD has unveiled a new DC energy storage system with the world’s largest singleunit capacity of 14.5 MWh, intensifying competition in the fast-growing utilityscale storage market.

the ‘Haohan’ system was launched on September 18 at the International Digital Energy Expo in Shenzhen.

the company said Haohan’s minimum unit capacity of 14. 5MWh is more than double the industry norm of 6-7 MWh. When configured within a standard 20-foot container, the system delivers 10 MWh and achieves a volumetric energy density of 233 kWh per cubic meter, a 51% increase on the industry average. For a 1 GWh storage plant, Haohan would cut the number of required units by more than half, reduce land use by one-third, and trim cell count by 76%.

Ch ief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has underscored the urgent need for Bangladesh to transition towards cleaner, safer, and more affordable energy solutions as the country navigates a new path toward sustainable economic development. Speaking during a recent virtual conference with Carl Page, Chairman of the Anthropocene Institute, and his colleagues, Professor Yunus said Bangladesh-one of the world’s most densely populated and climatevulnerable nations-cannot afford prolonged reliance on fossil fuels. ‘It is time for Bangladesh to seriously consider clean energy alternatives, including large-scale solar deployment,’ Professor Yunus said. Carl Page, brother of Google co-founder Larry Page, highlighted recent advancements in next-generation nuclear technologies and hybrid systems that offer reliable, zero-carbon power. He emphasized that barge-mounted nuclear reactors are cost-effective, low-maintenance, and capable of powering Bangladesh’s growing industrial sector for decades. Nuclear power is no longer a taboo topic among major development financiers like the World Bank, Page said, adding that countries such as Indonesia are already adopting these technologies to meet their rising energy demands. BIDA, DESCO Sign MoU to Install 150kWp Rooftop Solar System at Biniyog Bhaban The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and Dhaka Electric Supply Company (DESCO) Limited recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to install, operate, and maintain a 150 kilowattpeak (kWp) rooftop solar power system at BIDA’s headquarters at Agargaon in the city. The signing ceremony, held at the Investment Building’s conference room, was presided over by BIDA Executive Chairman (State Minister) Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, said a press release. DESCO Managing Director Brigadier General Shamim Ahmed ndc, PSC (retd) attended the event as special guest.

on behalf of BIDA, the MoU was signed by Director Md. Maruful Alam, while DESCO’s Company Secretary Engineer Mohammad Kamruzzaman signed on behalf of the power distributor.

according to the agreement, DESCO will implement, operate, and maintain the system on a 9,105-square-foot rooftop area. The 20-year project involves an installation cost of around Tk 8.9 million, with an additional Tk 8.7 million earmarked for maintenance and replacement during the project’s lifespan.

the solar system is expected to generate about 2.85 million kilowatt-hours of electricity over 20 years, worth approximately Tk 29.9 million.

Omera Renewable will generate 6MW of solar power within the next six months by using the unused spaces of the Padma Bridge service areas. An agreement on this was signed between Bangladesh Bridge Authority and Omera Renewable Energy Ltd recently.

according to a media statement, Bridge Authority Chief Engineer Quazi Ferdous and Omera Renewable Energy CEO Masudur Rahman signed the contract.

the statement said the contract was signed under the directives of Fouzul Kabir Khan, advisor to the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry.

at his instruction, an IDCOL team carried out a feasibility study on the potential for rooftop solar power generation at the Padma Bridge service areas.

the study report found that Service Area-1 has the capacity to generate 1,966KW, Service Area-2 2,948KW, and Service Area-3 around 1,119KW, making a total of 6,033KW.

the contract with Omera Renewable is worth Tk 230 million.

the project is scheduled to be completed within six months, by Mar 14, 2026.

Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed has said the interim government is importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from various sources, not from a single country, by comparing international prices and assessing demand. ‘No, we are not importing LNG from a single source. We verify the international market. We are comparing all the markets, be it America, Saudi Arabia, China, or Singapore.

it is not that easy to just give it to the US,’ he told reporters on 16 September. Dr Salehuddin was speaking after chairing meetings of the Advisory Council Committee on Economic Affairs and the Advisory Council Committee on Government Procurement at the Secretariat.

asked about the outcomes of the current visit of the USTR delegation to Bangladesh, he said the issue lies with the Commerce Ministry, especially as emphasis is being given to minimizing the existing trade gap between Bangladesh and the USA by importing more items from the USA.

Climate change is spurring increasingly erratic and extreme swings between deluge and drought across the world, the United Nations warned recently.

the UN’s World Meteorological Organization said in a report that the world’s water cycle was becoming ever more unpredictable, with shrinking glaciers, droughts, unbalanced river basins and severe floods wreaking havoc. ‘The world’s water resources are under growing pressure and — at the same time — more extreme waterrelated hazards are having an increasing impact on lives and livelihoods,’ WMO chief Celeste Saulo cautioned in a statement released with the annual State of Global Water Resources report. Last year was the hottest on record, leading to prolonged droughts in northern parts of South America, the Amazon Basin and southern Africa. Parts of central Africa Europe and Asia, meanwhile, were dealing with wetter weather than usual, being hit with devastating floods or deadly storms, the report pointed out.

at a global level, WMO said last year was the sixth consecutive year where there had been a ‘clear imbalance’ in the world’s river basins.

The government will conduct a feasibility study for building a new floating-storage and regasification unit (FSRU) at Moheshkhali island in the Bay of Bengal with a capacity of 4.50 million tonnes per year (MTPA). ‘The state-owned Petrobangla has already decided to engage the state-run Infrastructure Investment Facilitation Company (IIFC) to carry out the feasibility study within the shortest possible time,’ said a senior Petrobangla official.

the IIFC, an enterprise of the Economic Relations Division under the Ministry of Finance, is expected to complete the feasibility study within the next couple of months, he said. Several international companies, along with their local partners, have already submitted proposals to Petrobangla as well as the Energy and Mineral Resources Division (EMRD) under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources (MPEMR) for building the proposed FSRU on Moheshkhali island near the two existing and operational FSRUs.

according to officials, the interim government has taken a fresh move to build a new FSRU on Moheshkhali island after scrapping a deal with the Summit Group to build a similar terminal at the same place, said sources. Last year, the EMRD instructed Petrobangla to take steps in this regard.

As governments prepare to meet at the UN SecretaryGeneral’s Special HighLevel Event on Climate Action, new analysis conducted by 350.org and Zero Carbon Analytics shows that renewable energy is fast becoming the backbone of national climate strategies.

a new analysis of the first 36 NDC 3.0 submissions (countries’ updated Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement) finds that about 70% either set new renewable energy targets or already have ambitious expansion plans and a high percentage of clean energy domestically. These pledges extend to 2035 and are the first since the Paris Agreement’s Global Stocktake, which called for stronger sectoral action.

the report comes after hundreds of thousands of people filled streets around the world to draw the line on climate inaction. The findings also show broad alignment with the COP28 commitment to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030, signaling real momentum ahead of COP30 negotiations.