Category: Energy and Power

The planet is on track to log its second hottest year on record in 2025, tied with 2023 after a historic high in 2024, Europe’s global warming monitor said recently.

the data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service reaffirms that global temperatures are on course to exceed 1.5C above pre-industrial levels — the threshold considered safer in the 2015 Paris Agreement.

temperatures rose by 1.48C on average between January and November, or ‘currently tied with 2023 to be the second-warmest year on record’, according to the service’s monthly update. ‘The three-year average for 2023-2025 is on track to exceed 1.5C for the first time,’ Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at Copernicus, said in a statement. ‘These milestones are not abstract – they reflect the accelerating pace of climate change and the only way to mitigate future rising temperatures is to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions,’ Burgess said.

State-run Petrobangla has prioritized launching an onshore bidding round ahead of an offshore one to ramp up the country’s overall natural gas output from local fields. ‘We are now concentrating on inviting an international tender to carry out oil and gas exploration in onshore gas blocks, especially in hilly areas,’ a senior Petrobangla official said. Raising gas production from domestic fields has become essential amid dwindling output and rising demand across industries, power plants and other major consumers, he said. ‘We are keen to float the tender soon for the onshore gas blocks,’ he added. ‘The bid round for offshore gas blocks will come later.’ Lower investment requirements and shorter exploration periods in onshore blocks have prompted Petrobangla to priorities the onshore round first, according to market insiders.

offshore exploration requires significantly higher investment and longer lead times, they added.

Chief adviser M u h a m m a d Yunus recently stressed the need for stronger trade, energy and e c o n o m i c ties between B a n g l a d e s h a n d Azerbaijan. He discussed the issues when Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva, daughters of Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev, called on him at the State Guest House Jamuna.

this marked the first visit to Bangladesh by the daughters of the Azerbaijani president. Yunus recalled his many visits to Baku and his meeting with president Aliyev during the COP29 summit late last year, said chief adviser’s deputy press secretary Abul Kalam Azad. Leyla Aliyeva, vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and founder and head of IDEA Public Union, called for enhanced environmental cooperation, particularly in wildlife protection

Power, energy, and mineral resources adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan has said that at least eight power plants across Bangladesh went off-grid following an earthquake in a recent morning. By the evening, the grid situation had returned to normal, he confirmed. Fouzul Kabir Khan, also the adviser for the ministries of road transport and bridges and railways, said that they had received information from different places about cracks on some power and transport infrastructures, which were not assessed till that night.

the adviser said that major problems occurred to the power sector due to the earthquake as these plants tripped because of fire incidents, broken insulators, breaking of insulators, busbars and isolators.

the affected power plants were Bibiyana 2 (Summit), Bibiyana 3, Ashuganj 225, Ashuganj Precision 55, Ashuganj TSK, SS POWER U-2, 600, Siraganj and Ghorashal AIS grid sub-station. Later, he said, the officials concerned were able to manage the situation and resume operation gradually by the evening.

Policymakers and development experts at a discussion meeting in Dhaka have called for adopting green inclusive finance as a national framework to link financial inclusion with climate action for the poor and low-income vulnerable populations in Bangladesh.

the event, titled ‘Green Inclusive Finance: A Framework for Climate Change Response by the Poor and Low-Income Vulnerable Populations in Bangladesh’, was jointly organized recently by the Institute for Inclusive Finance and Development (InM) and the Center for Inclusive Development Dialogue (CIDD) at the BRAC Centre Inn, Mohakhali. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Q.K.

ahmad, Chairman of InM. A keynote paper presented by Dr. Mustafa K. Mujeri, Executive Director of InM and Chairman of CIDD, outlined a strategic framework that integrates poverty reduction, financial inclusion, and climate resilience covering three key pathways including resilience, adaptation and transition. The paper stressed that tackling climate change and supporting the poor cannot be effectively approached individually.

a green inclusive finance system, he argued, would empower vulnerable communities to adapt to climate shocks while transitioning towards sustainable livelihoods, said a press release.

Speakers at a recent global action event on the Pashur river warned that the pace of fossil gas extraction is obstructing global climate ambitions, particularly as energy demand continues to rise across the Global South.

environmental organizations Dharitree Rokkhay Amra (Dhora), Waterkeepers Bangladesh, and Pashur River Waterkeeper launched a boat rally on the Pashur River in Mongla. Presiding over the rally’s inauguration program, environmental activist and Pashur River Waterkeeper Md Noor Alam Sk said, ‘Fossil gas expansion must be stopped immediately.’ ‘As a just energy transition, fossil gas can never be an alternative to coal or oil.

the world’s largest natural gas producers are the United States, followed by China, Russia, Iran, Canada, and Qatar.

to these countries, I say, ‘Stop gas and LNG, we need renewable energy’.’ Speakers urged G20 leaders and COP30 negotiators to ensure policy shifts towards renewable energy.

The government, on 24 November, approved re-fixed levelized power tariffs to ensure the sustainable operation of seven power plants.

the approval came from the 47th meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase, held at the cabinet division conference room in the Bangladesh Secretariat, with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair.

the approved proposals, placed by the Power Division, relate to re-fixed levelized tariffs for the following plants: Gazipur 105MW HFO plant (Rural Power Co Ltd), Raozan 25.5MW HFO plant (RPCL), Kodda Gazipur 149.356MW plant (B-R Powergen Ltd), Mirsarai 163MW dual-fuel plant (B-R Powergen Ltd), Gazipur Kodda 52.194MW plant (RPCL), Sreepur 160MW HFO plant (B-R Powergen Ltd), and Sonagazi 75MW solar power plant.

the committee reviewed each proposal and recommended approving the re-fixed levelized tariffs.

Meghna Fresh LPG Limited honored its top-performing distributors and officials for the year 2025 with awards during its ‘Fueling PartnerDistributor Conference 2025’ in Cox’s Bazar, said a press release. Meghna Fresh LPG Limited is a concern of Meghna Group of Industries. The three-day event, held from November 3 to 5, brought together approximately 400 distributors and company officials.

the conference was virtually graced by MGI chairman and managing director Mostafa Kamal and vice-chairperson Beauty Akter as chief guests. MGI directors Tanveer Ahmed Mostafa and Tasnim Mostafa, and executive director and head of exports Sameera Rahman, were present as special guests.

South Asia, with its dense population, rising temperatures and exposed geography, remains one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions – and Bangladesh is among the hardest hit. By 2030, nearly 90 per cent of the region’s population will face extreme heat, while close to one-quarter will be at risk of severe flooding. Rising water and soil salinity in coastal districts is already disrupting millions of lives in Bangladesh.

a new World Bank (WB) report, From Risk to Resilience: Helping People and Firms Adapt in South Asia, finds that households and private firms are bearing the bulk of climate adaptation costs. Awareness of climate risks is high: more than three-quarters of households and firms expect a major weather shock within the next decade. Some 63 per cent of firms and 80 per cent of households have taken steps to adapt, but most rely on basic, low-cost measures rather than advanced technologies or public infrastructure. But with governments facing tight fiscal constraints, the report stresses the need to enable far greater privatesector adaptation through comprehensive policy support

All gas well drilling under Petrobangla has been suspended for 48 hours as a precaution amid heightened earthquake risk, officials said recently.

the decision was taken on the instruction of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Petrobangla confirmed. Drilling, exploration and workover operations ongoing as of 8am on November 25 have been ordered to stop. Petrobangla said the suspension aims to prevent potential damage to drilling and seismic survey equipment, and to ensure the safety of workers and the public. ‘It is dangerous to continue drilling during earthquake stress,’ said Shamsunnahar, General Manager (Environment and Safety) of Petrobangla’s Operations and Mines Directorate. ‘So, all drilling activities will remain suspended during this risky 48-hour window.’