Category: Energy and Power

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has shown interest in ?nancing the overhaul of two aging units at the Karnaphuli Hydroelectric Power Station, Bangladesh’s only hydropower plant, as the project remained stalled for more than seven years due to procurement complications.

of?cials from the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) said preparations are underway to develop a detailed project proposal with JICA support for the rehabilitation of Units 4 and 5 at the Kaptaibased power station.

according to plant oficials, the two 50 MW units are currently generating only around 40 MW each because of mechanical deterioration and structural weaknesses, reducing the plant’s overall output by nearly 20 MW.

the units have exceeded their scheduled overhaul periods. Unit 4 was last renovated in 2010, while Unit 5 underwent overhaul in 2011. Engineers said cracks in generator support structures and other mechanical faults have forced operators to carry out regular inspections, welding, and temporary maintenance to keep the units operational

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman recently said Bangladesh is steadily advancing toward clean energy, a green economy, and a self-reliant energy system through expanded use of renewable energy technologies. He made the remarks while addressing the inauguration ceremony of the ‘Renewable Solar Power On-Grid Rooftop’ initiative at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in Dhaka. ‘Today we are inaugurating an initiative that is not only a power generation project, but also a symbol of Bangladesh’s sustainable future,’ the Prime Minister said. Referring to the launch of the onemegawatt rooftop solar power system at the parliament complex, he said the project sends a strong message that Bangladesh is moving steadily toward clean energy, sustainable economic growth, and energy self-reliance.

at the request of the Prime Minister, Speaker of Parliament Major (retd) Ha?z Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, formally inaugurated the rooftop solar initiative

The government has signed contracts with 12 independent power producers (IPPs) to generate 918-MW electricity at an average cost of 7.80 cents (Tk 9.12) per kilowatt-hour, with of?cials saying the amount was roughly 2.5 cents lower than previous such costs. Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) of?cials said that the recent deals were part of an extensive energy mix campaign to maximize renewable energy generation, reducing dependence on traditional and, particularly, on imported fossil fuel sources. ‘The tariff drop of 2 to 3 cents means the average generation cost will fall signi?cantly from earlier average prices that hovered around 10.50 cents per kilowatt-hour,’ said an of?cial. BPDB of?cials said as part of the campaign, the new government annulled a past interim regime decision to scrap earlier adopted six power projects, alongside taking six new projects to get the 918 MW electricity at lower tariffs.

Pr of. Halil Hasar, Director of Climate Change, participated in the 5th Istanbul International Water Forum, held under the theme ‘Strengthening Water Resilience: Innovation to Action.’ Hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the forum is regarded as one of Trkiye’s leading international platforms on sustainable water governance. The event brought together ministerial delegations, policymakers, and representatives from major international organizations, including the United Nations, OECD, OIC, and the World Bank.

addressing the opening session, Director Hasar emphasized that water has become the most visible and immediate manifestation of the global climate crisis. He noted that COP31, which Trkiye will host this November, represents a historic opportunity to accelerate implementation-oriented climate action. Highlighting the intensifying impacts of climate change, Hasar stated that 2024 has of?cially become the hottest year on record, while disruptions in the hydrological cycle are increasing the frequency and severity of droughts and extreme weather events. Referring to UN ?ndings, he underlinedthat nearly 40 percent of the global population currently lives in waterstressed regions, placing more than 700 million people at severe risk of water scarcity. ‘Water should no longer be viewed solely as a natural resource,’ Hasar said. ‘It must be recognized as a strategic priority for global resilience, security, and sustainable development.

Government exchequer gasps under ?scal-pressure buildup as power-sector subsidy is projected to overshoot its budgetary mark in the current ?scal year (FY)-much of the burden stemming from overrated hiring of private plants.

the government had already disbursed Tk 320 billion during the ?rst nine months (July-March) of FY2025-26, and the amount is likely to reach some Tk 430 billion at the ?scal yearend, Ministry of Finance (MoF) of?cials say. With an estimated Tk 110 billion required to make up the gap for the remaining three months (AprilJune), the total subsidy requirement for the scal comes to nearly Tk 430 billion, says a senior MoF of?cial. Consequently, the nance ministry is nalizing a revised national budget substantially raising the power-sector allocation from its initial cap at Tk 370 billion, they say.

350.org welcomed COP31 PresidentDesignate Murat Kurum’s call to urgently increase the pace of global electri?cation, made at the Copenhagen Climate Ministers’ Meeting recently. Climate campaigners, however, urged governments to heed this call for electri?cation by raising revenues through windfall taxes on fossil fuel pro?ts, accompanied by concrete plans to phase out fossil fuels. Clémence Dubois, 350.org Campaigns Manager, said: ‘There is no doubt that electri?cation is urgently needed and a permanent tax on the fossil fuel industry can bridge the gap between promise and reality. G7 governments are sitting on the answer to the crisis of unaffordable energy. Fossil fuel companies are making their biggest pro?ts yet, while households around the world can’t afford their energy bills.

tax those windfall pro?ts and use revenues to accelerate electri?cation and deliver energy justice.

During this Eid-ul-Azha vacation I spent a couple of days in two separate villages away from the capital city. During my short stays I had had ?rst-hand experiences on how the villagers endure frequent loadshedding caused short supply of power to the Rural Electri?cation Board.

at my Suradia village home in Munshiganj district’s Sreenagar upazila I found electricity going off for hours together amid sweltering Jaishta heat. Whenever it returns it stays not for long, leaving consumers to endure not only sweat but concerns about irrigation pumps and agricultural activities.

the outages cause losses also to poultry farms apart from causing damages to refrigerators whoever owns the cooling appliances. The short vacation also took me and some of my friends to a restaurant close to River Padma in Dohar-Nawabganj area where we found customers and staff members struggling with on-again off-again power outages. We suffered too on a hot and humid day.

though the leave of power here was a bit short the restaurant authorities complained that there had recently been more disruptions in power supply obstructing smooth ?ow of business.

the summer is really going to be dif?cult.

the same is not seen in Dhaka, the capital city and the seat of power. There are discriminations between the capital city and the rural Bangladesh. With peak electricity demand crossing 16,000MW on a typical summer day Bangladesh Power Development Board can supply maximum up to 14,000MW to Power Grid Company Bangladesh for distribution through the six distribution companies, including the REB, which bears the brunt of the short supply.

the mainstream media does not provide space and time the sufferings of the villagers actually deserve.

the media’s coverage in this regard is discriminatory too.

the Dhaka city dwellers are being spared the load-shedding as part of the government’s tactic to keep them silent especially on this subject. Dhaka residents have too many problems to deal with. Rising cost of living, high fuel prices, traf?c chaos and not-so-good law and order are among the perils faced by the capital city residents. But they scream more when electricity goes off rendering refrigerators and fans idle. This is also the city where the rich, elite and the power live.

also the media sits here. So, the subsequent governments have always adopted the policy of keeping the capital city free of loadshedding.

the rural people are left to suffer as they are too weak to protest. They are the voiceless people.

the city people matter more than the villagers. The discrimination has been going on for many years. No doubt, it will go on. But the economic development and the efforts to reduce poverty suffer. When the lack of electricity stops electric irrigation pumps the production of rice and vegetables get the hit.

though declining, the agriculture’s contribution to Bangladesh’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is still sizeable.

the sector accounts for over 11% of the GDP, which is currently $510 billion in nominal term. But it provides employment to the country’s up to 40% of the population acting as a backbone of the economy. Bangladesh suffers when its agriculture gets weak.

it has been weakening over the years.

in the early 1970s agriculture accounted for 38% of the GDP.

in FY2425 it declined to 1.79%, the lowest rate of growth recorded in the last 11 years, according to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

this means Bangladesh is lagging behind in its drive for economic recovery amid global fuel prices turmoil. The drive to cut down the rate of poverty is also witnessing setbacks.

everyone everywhere requires electricity.

this is citizens’ rights. Political parties while seeking votes always promise a fair distribution of electricity between rural and urban residents.

in practice, the rural people remain neglected. No government has ever been able to reverse this trend

Bangladesh Gas Fields Company Limited (BGFCL) has started drilling operations at the Kamta-2 a ppraisal development well in Gazipur’s Kaliganj , aiming to boost domestic gas production.

if drilling and testing are completed successfully, the well is expected to add up to 10 million cubic feet of gas per day (mmcfd) to the national grid, according to a BGFCL press release. State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit inaugurated the spud-in operation of the well recently under a project titled ‘Drilling of Four Appraisalcum-Development Wells at Titas and Kamta Fields.’ Under the project, three wells will be drilled at the Titas Gas Field and one at the Kamta Gas Field.

the release said the government aims to supply around 55 mmcfd of gas to the national grid in the ?rst year by June 2027 after the project’s completion

The inception workshop of the ‘Conservation and Restoration Initiatives in the Sundarbans Region (CRIS) Project’ was held recently in Dhaka, bringing together government of?cials, development partners, researchers, conservation experts, and civil society representatives to strengthen collaborative efforts for the sustainable protection of the Sundarbans.

the project is being implemented jointly by the Bangladesh Forest Department, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and Agence Française de Développement (AFD). The initiative aims to enhance ecosystem resilience, biodiversity conservation, climate adaptation, and community engagement in and around the Sundarbans region.

the workshop, held at InterContinental Dhaka, focused on the project’s implementation strategies, restoration priorities, coordination mechanisms, and long-term sustainability plans for the world’s largest mangrove forest ecosystem.

Bangladesh has proposed a longterm governmentto-government (G2G) energy cooperation framework with Angola to diversify crude oil and gas imports beyond the Middle East.

the proposal was discussed during the ?rst high-level virtual energy dialogue between the two countries. Bangladesh also invited an Angolan technical team to Dhaka for further negotiations and expressed readiness to send its own delegation to Luanda. Bangladesh highlighted its rising energy demand and the need for secure supply diversi?cation, while Angola outlined its production capacity of around 1.1 million barrels of crude oil per day and plans to expand re?ning and gas infrastructure. Both sides agreed to accelerate a proposed MoU on energy cooperation and strengthen technical-level engagement to develop a structured partnership.