Category: Energy and Power

The 2026 UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) will be held from 9-20 November 2026 in Antalya, Trkiye.

at COP30, Parties accepted Trkiye’s o?er to host COP31 while endorsing an unprecedented arrangement.

trkiye and Australia will share the presidency, with Australia acting as the ‘President of negotiations.’ A Pre-COP meeting is expected to take place in the Paci?c.

australian Climate Minister Chris Bowen con?rmed that Australia will hold full negotiating authority- including managing talks, preparing draft texts, and issuing the ?nal cover decision-despite the summit being held in Trkiye. 2026 Conference to Encompass ? 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the UNFCCC ? 21st CMP to the Kyoto Protocol ? 8th CMA to the Paris Agreement ? 65th sessions of SBSTA and SBI Shared Presidency: Trkiye Hosts, Australia Runs the Negotiations Diplomatic Compromise After Yearlong Stalemate Australia initially had greater support to host COP31, but Trkiye refused to withdraw its bid. Had Trkiye blocked Australia within the Western Europe and Others Group (WEOG), the summit would have defaulted to Bonn, Germany. Calling such an outcome ‘irresponsible,’ Bowen reached an agreement with Turkish Minister Murat Kurum: Antalya will host COP31, Australia will preside over negotiations, and Paci?c Island nations will host the Pre-COP and a pledging event for the Paci?c Resilience Fund. Nevertheless, Paci?c representatives expressed disappointment. Palau’s Ambassador Ilana Seid said she was ‘very disappointed that it’s not going to be a Paci?c COP,’ though discussions continue about holding the Pre-COP in a Paci?c nation. Location Secondary to Outcomes Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation, emphasized that the venue is ‘secondary to what COP31 delivers,’ highlighting the need for strong progress on climate ambition, ?nance, and the global energy transition. However, some Turkish diplomats expressed frustration over losing the presidency: ‘We bear the burden, butthey hold the power. We do the work but they make the decisions.’ Catherine Abreu, head of the International Climate Politics Hub, said Australia must demonstrate genuine leadership by not obstructing adaptation ?nance negotiations at COP30. She also urged Trkiye to honor its ambition for a ‘loweremissions COP’ by supporting a roadmap for a just fossil fuel phase-out. Concerns over Civic Freedom in Trkiye With worries about democratic backsliding, civil society groups have raised concerns about freedoms during COP31. Marta Schaaf, of Amnesty International, urged Trkiye to ensure: ‘Full respect for freedom of expression and the right to protest so climate justice advocates can participate without fear.’ Key Issues for COP31 Following COP30’s ‘Mutirão’ decision, Brazil will hand over two major roadmaps: 1.

a just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels 2. Halting and reversing deforestation globally Additional issues expected at COP31 include: ? Post-2020 global climate ?nance ? Seventh review of the ?nancial mechanism ? Periodic review of the long-term global goal under the UNFCCC ? Updates on progress toward global climate targets ? Mountain ecosystems issues Antalya: The Host City Antalya, known as the tourism capital of Trkiye, is a historic Mediterranean city with: ? Population: 2.3 million (5th largest in Trkiye) ? Tourism: Over 10 million visitors annually, accounting for 25% of Trkiye’s tourism ? Geography: Suitable for year-round tourism ? Heritage: Settled since 2000 BCE, shaped by numerous civilizations from the Seljuks and Ottomans to the modern Republic ? Economy: Strong in tourism, agriculture, logistics, services, and industry With its beaches, national parks, ancient ruins, vibrant city life, and award-winning marina, Antalya is a major hub of economic and cultural activity

Power, energy and mineral resources adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan recently said that they had introduced direct procurement of renewable power to check corrupt practices that trapped the country’s power companies in a vicious cycle.

admitting that the new method might cause misunderstandings, he said that power producers were used to the implementation agreements and power purchase agreements under the previous method.

the implementation agreements and power purchase agreements are obsolete ideas, he said while joining a dialogue online.

the event titled ‘Recent Procurement Initiatives of Renewable Energy in the Power Sector: CPD Study Findings’ was organized by the Centre for Policy Dialogue at the BRAC Centre Inn in Dhaka. Moderated by CPD research director Golam Moazzem, the event was arranged against the backdrop of calling international tenders for producing over 5,000 megawatts of power from renewable sources.

An officer of the Power Division was stabbed to death, allegedly by a group of muggers, on the Tongi flyover in Gazipur recently.

the victim is Siddiqur Rahman, 58, a store officer at the Power Division office in Keraniganj. Quoting local people, Tongi East police station sub inspector Mehedi Hasan said that Siddiqur, on his way to the office, was climbing the flyover’s staircase when a group of muggers intercepted him.

they attempted to snatch his money and mobile phone and the muggers stabbed him with a sharp weapon when he tried to resist, he said, and added that the victim died on the spot.

Victory Day, celebrated on December 16, marks Bangladesh’s triumph in the ninemonth War of Liberation against Pakistani occupation forces in 1971.

in the afternoon on this day, 93,000 Pakistani soldiers and their local collaborators had surrendered to the joint forces of the Indian Army and Bangladeshi freedom fighters (Muktijoddha) at the then-Race Course Maidan. Lt. Gen.

a.A.K. Niazi of Pakistan signed the Instrument of Surrender with Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora (India/ Bangladesh Joint Forces Commander) and A.K. Khandker (Bangladesh Forces), ending the Bangladesh Liberation War and Indo-Pak War of 1971.

tens of thousands of Bengalees and the guerrillas erupted with the chants of Joy Bangla during the surrender ceremony, a humiliating event for the Pakistanis responsible for the war during which three million Bengalees were killed and more than 200,000 women raped by the occupation soldiers.

the nation celebrated this year’s Victory Day with a mix of hope and fear.

the interim government’s plan to hold the general election on February 12 has raised hope about the country’s return to the path of democracy. Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus has promised that the upcoming vote will be freest and fairest in the country’s history. Citizens hope he proves right.

the Election Commission has announced the schedule of the polls, with political parties – except the Awami League, whose activities have been suspended by the interim government – resorting to the campaign mode.

the election button has been pressed, and the government is assuring the voters that no power on earth can disrupt it. Citizens also deeply worry about the law and order situation.

the assassination attempt on Osman Hadi, an aspirant candidate for Dhaka-8 and spokesperson of Inqilab Mancha, has caused the alarm bell to ring loudly.

this has compounded the fear that the vote could be held as peacefully as has been promised. Violence is also feared during electioneering. Reports of violence – leading to deaths in some cases -are already making headlines. Many wonder if the police force, still recovering from the shock it received during the July Uprising, is mentally agile in keeping law and order under control. Figures of crimes compiled by rights groups and published in newspapers are quite disturbing.

it is unclear how the competing political parties will behave to make the elections truly free, fair, and peaceful. Voters in Bangladesh are eagerly waiting for the February 12 vote.

it has been a long they were unable to use ballots to choose their representatives.

the past three elections held by the deposed Awami League government had been mired in allegations of fraud and manipulation. With major parties like BNP boycotting those elections credibility of the power that declared the winner reached the nadir. People rejected ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s clinging to power through fraudulent elections, and the absence of a real vote in three consecutive elections had been the reason her government collapsed like a house of cards during the student-led July movement. So, voters want a real vote this time. Among the voters are also new firsttimers who would not like to miss the opportunity to make their choices count. Even though the holding of a referendum on the July Charter on the day of voting is likely to create confusion, it will not hinder the process for the voters to make their choices regarding the candidates.

this year’s Victory Day message should thus be a call for a free, fair, credible, and peaceful election.

a successful vote will help stabilize the politics and create confidence among people at home and friends abroad. Foreign powers are ready to help Bangladesh overcome this critical phase, but for that to happen, we need to behave properly.

that is the inspiration the nation and its people get from this year’s V-Day

The first block of high-performance 9+ generation gas centrifuges has been launched at the Isotope Separation Plant of the Siberian Chemical Combine in Seversk, Russia.

the plant is an enterprise of Rosatom’s Nuclear Fuel Division.

the Isotope Separation Plant at the Siberian Chemical Combine is the third of Rosatom’s four enterprises engaged in uranium enrichment to introduce gen. 9+ centrifuges. The technical upgrade of the facility is a part of the modernization program of the sublimate-separation complex of the enterprise, which includes the gradual replacement of gas centrifuges of previous generations with up-to-date high-performance machines. Commissioning of new centrifuges in Seversk is scheduled for 2025-2027. Natalia Nikipelova, President of TVEL (managing company of Rosatom’s Fuel Division) said, ‘Rosatom’s Fuel Division has been fulfilling a record-high production program for several years in a row, but at the same time, we are steadily implementing largescale modernization projects at all stages of the nuclear fuel cycle that our enterprises are involved in. Rosatom has already invested heavily in modernizing nuclear fuel fabrication, uranium enrichment and conversion facilities, as well as manufacturing of gas centrifuges for isotope separation.’

Bangladesh has decided to import an additional 20MW of hydroelectricity from Nepal, building on the existing arrangement under which the country buys 40MW for six months between June and November. ‘We have proposed to buy an additional 20 megawatts of electricity from Nepal — they said they can provide it,’ said a senior official.

the proposal was made at the Nepal-Bangladesh Joint Steering Committee on Energy held in Dhaka recently. Following a trilateral agreement involving India, Bangladesh in June began importing 40MW hydropower from Nepal through India’s transmission line.

efforts to import hydropower from Nepal began in 2018. Nepal was on board from the onset but the process was delayed due to bureaucratic hurdles and conditions set by India. Finally, the import began after India’s endorsement last year.

JERA Co., Inc. (‘JERA’), Japan’s largest power g e n e r a t i o n company and a global leader across the liquefied natural gas (LNG) value chain, recently announced the signing of its first longterm LNG Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) to supply LNG outside Japan, with Torrent Power Limited (‘Torrent Power’), one of India’s leading integrated power utility companies.

under the agreement, JERA will supply four LNG cargoes per year, approximately 270,000 tonnes per annum, on a Delivered Ex-Ship (DES) basis from its extensive LNG portfolio.

this supply is scheduled for a period of ten years, commencing in 2027. The LNG procured under this agreement will be strategically utilized by Torrent Power, including to operate its 2,730 MW portfolio of combined cycle Gas-Based power plants in India, to meet the country’s rising power demand, support peak demand periods, and balance renewables generation. It will also support the growing LNG requirement of the Torrent Group’s City Gas Distribution (CGD) arm – Torrent Gas Ltd.’s (TGL), to ensure reliable supply of gas for households, commercial and industrial consumers and compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles.

As part of a new policy, Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to cooperate in supporting countries in Asia and the Pacific who are exploring nuclear energy as part of their energy and development strategies. Discussions will include identifying potential projects for collaboration, including those involving small modular reactors.

aDB President Masato Kanda Kanda said: ‘With ADB’s updated energy policy recognizing nuclear power as an alternative to fossil fuels for baseload generation, this agreement ensures that developing member countries choosing this path do so with robust safeguards, strong governance and a clear commitment to sustainability.’ IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said: ‘As ADB opens the door to financing nuclear power, we will move quickly to identify practical areas of collaboration that respond to rising energy needs of countries across the region . our teams will now begin shaping concrete initiatives that deliver reliable, low-carbon energy and strengthen resilience for millions of people.’

Despite legal indemnities, digital censorship and corporate pressure, the media in Bangladesh have gradually built a counter-narrative that exposed the fragility of the energy sector’s development model, according to a study by the Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network.

analysing 16,278 news contents published in newspapers and online platforms on power and energy issues over the last decade, the study said the media have established that the energy crisis was not an accident of nature but a failure of governance. ‘The past decade of energy journalism in Bangladesh is a story of resilience,’ reads the study titled ‘Narrative Arc of Energy: A Decade of Media Discourse in Bangladesh (2015-2025)’, which was presented recently at a session of the Bangladesh Energy Conference at Bangladesh Military Museum.

the study said media coverage of energy issues was dominated by state-driven ‘announcement journalism’ between 2015 and 2019. The global energy crisis of 2022, however, marked a turning point, shifting narratives from technical supply issues to political debates on affordability, accountability and corruption.

he repeated delays at the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant are understandably testing public patience.

as Bangladesh’s largest and most technologically complex development project, Rooppur carries enormous symbolic and practical weight.

every postponed milestone fuels skepticism about cost overruns, debt burdens, and execution capacity. Yet focusing only on delays risks missing the larger picture. Nuclear power is a leap into a domain where safety, regulation, and precision override speed. Fuel loading is not a ceremonial step that can be rushed to meet a calendar date; it is a point of no return.

the insistence on completing every test, certification, and international verification before loading fuel reflects caution, not failure.

in nuclear energy, delay is often the price of responsibility. Rooppur’s journey has unfolded amid extraordinary disruptions: a global pandemic, war-driven sanctions, financial transaction barriers, and domestic political upheaval. Few megaprojects anywhere in the world would have stayed on schedule under such pressures.

that construction is largely complete, safety systems installed, and Bangladeshi engineers are ready to operate the plant is a notable achievement.

the real test now lies ahead. Bangladesh must ensure transparent governance, finalize the power purchase agreement, manage long-term fuel and waste arrangements, and integrate nuclear power into a grid already under financial strain. Rooppur will only succeed if it strengthens, not complicates, the energy transition.

if handled wisely, Rooppur can anchor Bangladesh’s future with reliable, low-carbon baseload power for decades. But nuclear ambition demands nuclear discipline.

the final stretch must be guided by prudence, not pressure.