Category: Energy and Power

Shu Xiong has been appointed as the President and Managing Director of Chevron Bangladesh , commencing her position on August 1, 2026.

Shu succeeds Eric M.

Walker, who served Chevron Bangladesh for the last 6 (six) years.

Shu most recently served as Managing Director of Chevron’s China Business Unit, where she led the company’s upstream business and energy valuechain activities and built strong partnerships across multiple joint venture operations.

Since joining Chevron in 2007, Shu has held senior leadership roles across strategy, forecasting, trading, operations and planning, advising executives, supporting investment decisions, developing commercial opportunities and managing key partner and market relationships.

Shu holds an MBA from Stanford University and a BBA in Finance from the University of Houston.

Commenting on her appointment, Shu said: ‘I am excited to join the Bangladesh team, and I look forward to building on our 30-year partnership with the Government of Bangladesh and Petrobangla.

Bangladesh is planning to build its largest-ever solar power plant at Rampal in Bagerhat, on land originally earmarked for a coal-fi red project, signaling a major shift towards renewable energy.

The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has proposed a 442MW (peak DC) grid-connected solar PV plant at an estimated cost of Tk2,502 crore.

The project, subject to approval, is expected to be completed by December 2029.

The plant will occupy about 685 acres of already developed BPDB-owned land at Rampal, avoiding the need for new land acquisition.

It will connect to the national grid through a new 230kV transmission system linked to the nearby Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company substation.

The project is intended to reduce Bangladesh’s dependence on imported gas, oil and coal, lower carbon emissions and strengthen long-term energy security

Thailand’s PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP) has completed the country’s fi rst full reuse and relocation of a decommissioned offshore wellhead platform, cutting development time and costs while reducing carbon emissions.

The company relocated the Jakrawan K platform from the Funan Field and reinstalled it at another location within the G1/61 gas development in the Gulf of Thailand.

The facility is now operational.

The relocation and installation of the platform’s topside, jacket and selected pile sections took about six months, compared with around 20 months required to develop a new wellhead platform.

PTTEP estimates the reuse reduced construction costs by 35-50% and avoided approximately 3,270 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions.

PTTEP CEO Montri Rawanchaikul said structurally sound platforms can be reused after fi eld depletion to maximize their value and extend their service life.

The company plans to reuse around 10 additional wellhead platforms between 2027 and 2029, subject to structural integrity and safety assessments.

The UN-backed carbon market has expanded to the renewable power sector, allowing eligible grid-connected renewable electricity projects to generate carbon credits under the Paris Agreement’s Crediting Mechanism.

The Article 6.4 Supervisory Body adopted a new methodology setting rules for project eligibility, emissions reduction measurement and verifi cation.

The move is aimed at helping renewable energy projects overcome fi nancing barriers while ensuring credits represent real and additional emission reductions.

UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell said the mechanism could help unlock fi nance for cleanpower projects that might otherwise not move forward, enabling countries to accelerate renewable energy deployment and progress toward their climate targets.

The decision comes as countries seek to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030 and increase electrifi cation across transport, buildings and industry

Bangladesh has put a proposed 13year LNG supply agreement with US-based Gunvor USA LLC on hold after the company quoted a price considered too high by the government.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had approved the proposed government-to-government deal on July 28, but the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase did not approve it on August 7.

As a result, signing of the supply purchase agreement remains suspended.

Under the proposal, Gunvor would supply fi ve LNG cargoes in 2026, six in 2027 and three in 2028, priced against the Asian JKM benchmark.

From 2029 to 2038, it would supply 10 cargoes annually under a Henry Hub-linked formula of 121% of Henry Hub plus $5.20/MMBtu.

Offi cials said Gunvor initially offered the 2026-28 LNG at JKM plus $0.10/MMBtu but later raised the premium to $0.875/MMBtu, citing tight global LNG supplies.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called for the maximum and effi cient use of existing power and energy infrastructure to strengthen Bangladesh’s energy security, alongside greater transparency, accountability, regular maintenance and long-term integrated planning.

During his visit to the 1,200MW Matarbari Ultra-Supercritical Coal-Fired Power Plant on August 9, the Prime Minister stressed the need to diversify energy sources while giving priority to economic viability, environmental impacts and the long-term interests of the people.

He also emphasized integrated development of the Matarbari power and energy facilities, deep-sea port and related industrial infrastructure, saying their effi cient use could accelerate industrialization and wider economic activity.

Offi cials briefed the Prime Minister on the plant’s operations, generation capacity, fuel supply, maintenance, safety and future expansion plans.

The facility comprises two 600MW units and uses ultrasupercritical technology, with JICA providing loan assistance for the project.

The Power Division has strongly refuted what it described as misleading propaganda by certain individuals or groups regarding allegations of excessive electricity bills.

In a statement issued recently, the division said that all complaints relating to unusually high electricity bills received so far have already been reviewed and resolved by the Power Division and the respective electricity distribution companies.

The Power Division said there is therefore no basis for spreading misinformation or creating unnecessary public confusion over the issue.

However, it encouraged any customer who believes they have received an excessive electricity bill to submit a formal complaint, along with supporting evidence, to the relevant authority.

The statement assured consumers that any genuine complaint would be investigated and addressed promptly through appropriate action.

Extreme heat is causing significant economic and employment losses in Bangladesh, with heatr e l a t e d productivity l o s s e s estimated at up to $1.8 billion in 2024, while around 465,000 full-time jobs in Dhaka are effectively lost each year, according to a World Bank report.

The report, A Livable Future: Protecting Jobs and Growth from Extreme Heat in South Asia’s Cities, warned that rising temperatures could increasingly threaten Bangladesh’s jobs, exports and economic growth without urgent adaptation measures.

Heat stress currently makes about 3% of annual working hours in Dhaka unworkable.

Without effective adaptation, the fi gure could rise to 7.4% by 2080, equivalent to nearly 1.65 million full-time jobs.

Low-income workers in construction, manufacturing, transport, agriculture and informal services are particularly vulnerable.

The Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) has urged the government to provide a three-month fi nancial relief package for businesses affected by prolonged gas and electricity shortages.

In separate letters to the Finance Ministry and the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, the chamber sought a threemonth waiver of bank interest and deferment of loan instalments, along with a 90-day moratorium on gas and electricity bill payments without penalties.

CCCI President Mohammad Amirul Haque said persistent energy disruptions had severely affected garment and textile factories, plastics manufacturers and other industrial units, with some forced to suspend production or implement layoffs.

The chamber said lower and irregular energy supplies had caused sharp declines in production, exports and sales, leaving businesses struggling to pay wages, bank interest, utility bills and other operating cost

Climate change is projected to widen global inequality by driving greater airconditioning (AC) adoption in wealthy countries while causing sharply higher heat-related deaths in poorer nations that lack access to affordable electricity, according to a new report by the Climate Impact Lab.

The report warns that rising temperatures could contribute to an additional 430,000 heat-related deaths every year by 2050, with lowand lower-middle-income countries accounting for nearly 10 times more deaths than wealthier nations.

Researchers say access to reliable and affordable electricity for cooling will determine how effectively countries can adapt to worsening heat.

However, many of the regions expected to experience the most extreme temperatures are also those least able to expand electricity access.