Category: Energy and Power

Finnish technology company Wärtsilä has successfully demonstrated what it describes as the world’s fi rst large-scale engine operating entirely on 100% hydrogen, supplying electricity to Spain’s national grid from its test facility in Bermeo.

The milestone marks a signifi cant advance in hydrogen-based power generation, proving that large engine systems can run exclusively on hydrogen under real grid conditions.

The demonstration features Wärtsilä’s 31H2 engine, which is currently undergoing performance validation.

According to the company, the hydrogen-powered engine is designed to provide flexible, dispatchable electricity that can help balance intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.

Green hydrogen also offers long-duration energy storage while producing no carbon emissions at the point of use

Bangladesh needs policy reforms, lower taxes and duties, and easier access to fi nancing to accelerate the growth of its renewable energy sector, experts said, adding that Pakistan’s recent ‘solar revolution’ offers valuable lessons for expanding rooftop solar and distributed power generation in Bangladesh.

The observations were made at a dialogue titled ‘Pakistan’s Solar Revolution: Lessons for Bangladesh from a National Budget Perspective,’ organized by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) at a hotel in the capital recently.

Speakers at the event said Bangladesh has already made a political commitment to transition towards renewable energy, which is a positive development.

However, signifi cant structural and institutional challenges continue to hinder effective implementation.

CPD Research Director Dr.

Khandaker Golam Moazzem said Pakistan’s rapid expansion of solar power had transformed the country’s electricity sector within a short period.

‘Bangladesh can also reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and make more effective use of renewable energy resources,’ he said.

The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) has welcomed several renewable energy incentives proposed in Bangladesh’s FY2026-27 national budget but cautioned that continued fi scal advantages for fossil fuels could undermine the country’s long-term energy transition goals.

CPD Senior Research Associate Helen Mashiyat Preoty presented these observations in a paper titled ‘Proposed National Budget for FY2026-27: What is There for the Power and Energy Sector?’ at a discussion held at the organization’s Dhanmondi offi ce on Wednesday.

The session was chaired by CPD Research Director Khondaker Golam Moazzem.

The proposed budget allocates Tk 17,345 crore to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, representing a modest 2.3% increase from the revised FY2025-26 budget.

Of this amount, Tk 17,193 crore is allocated for development expenditure, while Tk 152 crore is designated for operational expenditure, which has increased by 7.8%.

However, CPD highlighted a concerning long-term trend: the ministry’s share of the national budget has steadily declined from 6.87% in FY2015-16 to 1.85% in FY2026-27.

The Power Division received Tk 14,996 crore, a 3.9% decrease from the revised allocation, while the Energy and Mineral Resources Division saw a signifi cant 72% increase to Tk 2,349 crore, mainly due to higher development spending.

The United Nations has unveiled preliminary proposals under its UN80 reform initiative to strengthen global environmental governance by improving coordination across climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development efforts.

A draft assessment, jointly led by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), identifi es fragmentation in environmental science, governance, and implementation, while recommending closer cooperation among UN agencies and multilateral environmental agreements.

The report also proposes enhancing the role of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA), strengthening coordination mechanisms, and introducing AI-enabled support centers to help countries implement environmental commitments more effectively.

It emphasizes greater policy coherence, improved access to fi nancing, and stronger engagement with the private sector to accelerate sustainable development

PTT Oil and Retail Business Public Company Limited (OR), Thailand’s leading energy and lifestyle retailer, has unveiled its OR 2030 Goals, outlining an ambitious sustainability roadmap focused on inclusive economic growth, community development, and environmental stewardship amid the global energy transition.

The new strategy is built around the People, Planet and Performance (3Ps) framework and sets three key targets by 2030: supporting more than one million partners, employees and community stakeholders, improving the quality of life for over 12 million people across 17,000 communities, and cutting greenhouse gas emissions by more than one-third from 2022 levels, while maintaining its longterm goal of achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050.

The announcement follows OR’s recognition as the No.

1 company in the retail industry in the SandP Global Sustainability Yearbook 2026 for the third consecutive year.

Japanese power utility JERA has signed longterm charter agreements with Mitsui O.S.K.

Lines (MOL) and NYK Group for four very large ammonia carriers to support the Blue Point ammonia project in Louisiana, United States.

Under the agreements, MOL and NYK will each provide two ammonia carriers, marking the world’s fi rst long-term deployment of very large gas carriers (VLGCs) dedicated to ammonia transportation.

The vessels will transport low-carbon ammonia from the Blue Point project, which is expected to begin production in 2029 with an annual capacity of 1.4 million metric tons.

JERA plans to use the fuel at its Hekinan Thermal Power Station to co-fi re ammonia with coal, supporting Japan’s decarbonization goals and the development of a commercial-scale lowcarbon ammonia value chain

Europe’s installed energy storage capacity has exceeded 100GW for the fi rst time, surpassing the region’s nuclear power capacity and marking a major milestone in the clean energy transition, according to the 10th edition of the European Market Monitor on Energy Storage (EMMES) released by LCP Delta and Energy Storage Europe.

The report said Europe added a record 13.5GW/26.4 GWh of electrochemical energy storage in 2025, increasing total installed storage capacity across all technologies to 102.7GW.

Behind-the-meter storage reached 30.2 GW/46.2GWh, driven by strong demand in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, and the United Kingdom.

The expansion has been fueled by rising adoption of solar-plus-storage systems, dynamic electricity pricing, and growing electrifi cation of homes and businesses.

Meanwhile, utility-scale, front-ofthe-meter battery storage climbed to 18.5GW/34.4GWh, with signifi cant growth in the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Belgium, Bulgaria, and Spain through capacity markets and dedicated storage support schemes.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called for coordinted international initiatives led by the World Economic Forum (WEF) to support B a n g l a d e s h and other delta nations, as well as countries highly vulnerable to rising sea levels and climate change impacts.

He made the remarks during a courtesy meeting with World Economic Forum President and Chief Executive Offi cer Alois Zwinggi at the Dalian International Conference Center in China recently.

At the beginning of the meeting, Alois Zwinggi congratulated the Prime Minister on assuming offi ce as head of government.

During the discussions, the Prime Minister appreciated various initiatives undertaken by the World Economic Forum to address climate change and stressed the need for a more coordinated global framework to support climate-vulnerable countries

ABB has re-entered the power electronics market with the launch of its new Proteus portfolio, offering advanced power conversion solutions for the solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage system (BESS) sectors.

The new product range follows ABB’s acquisition of Gamesa Electric and includes high-effi ciency 4.7 MVA central solar inverters with up to 99.45% conversion effi ciency, alongside bidirectional converter stations and advanced control systems for energy storage applications.

ABB said the Proteus portfolio is designed to support grid stability, renewable energy integration, and large-scale clean energy deployment.

The company plans to offi cially showcase the new solar inverter range at Intersolar Europe 2026 in Munich.

The launch marks ABB’s return to the power electronics business after exiting the sector in 2020, reflecting growing global demand for solar and energy storage technologies as the clean energy transition accelerate

Reconditioned vehicle importers have urged the government to review the proposed duty structure for automobiles , saying budgetary benefi ts for electric vehicles (EVs) could erode the competitiveness of hybrid and fossil-fuelpowered reconditioned cars in Bangladesh’s developing automobile market.

Abdul Haque, president of the Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers Association (Barvida), made the call at a press conference at Dhaka Club recently.

The association said the proposed budget grants signifi cant duty benefi ts to EVs while raising the tax burden on popular reconditioned vehicles, particularly mid-range fossil-fuel-powered cars used by middle-income consumers.