Category: Energy and Power

Energypac Power Generation PLC, one of the country’s leading power engineering companies, recently organized an insightful and forward-looking seminar, ‘AI for Business Excellence’, in collaboration with NetCom Learning Global Ltd, focusing on the prospects and practice of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in business excellence. The seminar was designed to highlight intelligent technologies that enhance operational efficiency for business, support quick decision-making, and expedite long-term business growth. Fahmidul Alam, an expert in business development and technology integration, discussed AI basics and practical applications to the attendees. He also talked about upcoming trends, opportunities, and real-world business case studies during the whole seminar.

The Trump administration is vying to roll back Bidenera limits on one of the most widespread deadly air pollutants, asking a court to vacate the standard. The Environmental Protection Agency in 2024 had strengthened limits on fine particulate matter, including soot, which can lead to health problems including strokes, heart attacks and asthma attacks. But recently the EPA, now under Trump leadership, filed a motion moving to drop defense of the rule in a DC appeals court, saying that Joe Biden’s White House had failed to follow necessary procedures to institute it. The EPA under former president Biden had said the stronger standard would ‘undoubtedly save lives.’ Exposure to the particles disproportionately impacts US communities of color.

industry petitioners and a coalition of states sued Biden’s EPA over the matter, saying the new standards would burden manufacturers and that compliance was too expensive.

Gas Transmission Company Limited (GTCL), a Petrobangla subsidiary mandated to own and operate Bangladesh’s gas transmission grid, has invested heavily in new infrastructure over the past decade and a half.

today, GTCL’s high-pressure transmission network stretches across the country- from Moheshkhali in the southeast to Rangpur in the northwest, and from Beanibazar in the north to Khulna in the south.

its pipelines and related facilities can transport more than 6,000 MMCFD of gas.

the only missing link in this nationwide system is the segment needed to connect the stranded gas reserves of Bhola Island to the national grid. Sector insiders know that, due to resource constraints, the country currently supplies only about 2,800 MMCFD of gas- including roughly 1,100 MMCFD of imported LNG regasified by two floating storage and regasification units anchored off Moheshkhali.

a lack of coordinated planning has left a large portion of the transmission system underutilized. GTCL has gained little from these expensive assets; instead, they have become a burden.

the government formed after the February 2026 general election will need to take stock and assess options before making further investments in gas transmission.

this reassessment must cover not only transmission but the entire gas supply chain.

to meet rising demand in the expanding franchise area, Petrobangla-guided by development partners-decided in the 1990s to unbundle the gas sector into production, transmission, and distribution.

this led to the creation of GTCL, responsible for receiving metered gas from upstream producers and delivering it to downstream distribution companies. Nearly three decades later, GTCL has grown from scratch into the country’s largest gas transmission utility. Still, incomplete asset transfers from some distribution companies and unresolved custody-transfer processes continue to cause disputes over metered gas deliveries.

in recent years, these disputes prompted Petrobangla to impose up to a 3% system loss allowance on GTCL, even though technically transmission losses should be negligible apart from minor metering inaccuracies. GTCL has since replaced most aging meters with modern systems, and SCADA now supports gas transactions across its network.

investments that Pushed GTCL Toward Financial Distress Gas fields in the Sylhet region, located along the northern corridor, are major suppliers to the national grid.

two large pipelines, the 178 km, 24-inch Koilashtila-Ashuganj line and the 30inch Rashidpur-Ashuganj line, form the backbone of transmission.

ahead of the development of the Bibiyana field, GTCL planned three compressor stations at Muchai, Rashidpur, Ashuganj (AGMS), and Elenga in Tangail. However, under pressure from Chevron, the productionsharing-contract operator for Blocks 12, 13, and 14, the government in 2009 allowed Chevron to build and operate the Muchai station. GTCL was instead tasked with constructing a 42-inch high-pressure pipeline from Bibiyana to Dhanua across difficult terrain, as well as compressor stations at Ashuganj and Elenga.

a large share of Bibiyana’s gas was diverted downstream, while nearby power plants began consuming gas directly at the source.

the resulting shift rendered the Ashuganj and Elenga GTCL compressor stations redundant within a short time.

aGMS remained operational for a period, but the Elenga stationnever went into service. Many believe Chevron’s involvement in Muchai was an attempt to prolong its cost-recovery period.

one former Petrobangla chairman opposed the decision, but his objections were ignored.

it remains unclear why GTCL was instructed to build a 30-inch parallel pipeline from Ashuganj to Bakhrabad despite declining supply from the northern corridor. Petrobangla’s daily production and transmission reports show that both AB1 and AB2 pipelines from Ashuganj are operating at low flow.

the Ashuganj compressor cannot function within its design parameters due to upstream shortages, and the Elenga compressor station remains idle. GTCL also built transmission pipelines from Moheshkhali and Cox’s Bazar to Anowara, Chattogram, to evacuate RLNG from the FSRUs. Within a few years, RLNG demand exceeded the design capacity of the first pipeline, prompting construction of a 42-inch parallel line. Inspections have shown that the metering facilities in the area were installed at three to four times the required scale.

these projects, carried out under the Special Act of 2010 without proper feasibility studies, primarily benefited entrenched energysector interests.

the resulting financial burden has crippled GTCL. Sector specialists know Bangladesh has long faced a chronic gas supply crisis. Despite extending a pipeline from Ishwardi to Khulna via Kushtia and Jessore, gas supply to the Khulna region remains unachievable.

the priority should have been a transmission line from Bhola to Khulna.

instead, GTCL was directed to extend the pipeline network from Bogura to Rangpur via Dinajpur-regions unlikely to receive gas in the near future. GTCL officials did voice objections, but frequent changes of managing directors undermined institutional continuity. These costly, unnecessary investments benefited only an unholy alliance of vested interests while pushing GTCL into financial distress.

in the near future, GTCL must undertake major projects to evacuate gas from Bhola and build a third parallel pipeline from Moheshkhali/Matarbari. Without government grants or a revised wheeling charge, GTCL will struggle to absorb these investments. Recommendation The incoming government must review unnecessary investments in GTCL’s infrastructure and identify ways to utilize idle facilities.

a transparent audit will reveal the intentional missteps and vested interests behind past decisions.

at the same time, rigorous techno-economic feasibility studies must precede all future projects.

as the regulator of the energy and power sector, BERC must approve all upcoming gas-sector projects to prevent further financial strain and ensure rational planning

Bangladesh has emphasized justice, ambition and urgent global solidarity in the face of escalating climate impacts at COP30 in Brazil’s Belém. Speaking at a moment when the world grapples with irreversible climate damage and a profound trust deficit in multilateralism, Mohammad Navid Shafiullah, additional secretary, climate change, of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, reminded delegates on Tuesday that for Bangladesh, climate change was not an abstract threat but a daily reality.

extreme temperatures, cyclones, floods, sea-level rise and riverbank erosion continue to displace millions, undermine biodiversity and push vulnerable communities to the brink. He added that Bangladesh confronted extreme climate events while simultaneously bearing the humanitarian burden of the Rohingya c r i s i s – d e m o n s t r a t i n g how climate, conflict and displacement multiply pressured on vulnerable nations. Despite contributing less than 0.5 per cent of global emissions, Bangladesh has chosen leadership over despair.

With more than a half-million people worldwide dying from heat-related causes every year, a group of philanthropies is putting $300 million into developing lifesaving solutions as global temperatures continue to rise.

the money, announced this week at the COP30 climate negotiations in Brazil, is aimed at developing data and figuring out the best investments for tackling rising risks from extreme heat, air pollution and infectious disease. ‘We are a philanthropy. We can’t just keep plugging holes and resuscitating a dying model of development,’ said Estelle Willie, the director of health policy and communications at The Rockefeller Foundation, one of the funders. ‘So what we are trying to do is through our philanthropy capital, we can start testing and validating new solutions through this work and coming together,’ she said. Separately, COP30 host Brazil launched an initiative called the Belem Health Action Plan to encourage countries to monitor and coordinate climate-related health policy across their various ministries and departments.

that effort is part of Brazil’s broader focus at the U.N. climate talks on bolstering countries’ ability to prepare for – and adapt to – worsening climate impacts including floods, fires, drought, storms and hurricanes.

Ahead of COP30 in Belem, IRENA identified five priority areas to accelerate progress towards the goal of tripling renewables globally and doubling energy efficiency by 2030 – both critical energy targets to keep the Paris Agreement goals alive. IRENA’s custodian report, Delivering on the UAE Consensus: Tracking Progress Toward Tripling Renewable Energy Capacity and Doubling Energy Efficiency by 2030, confirmed the target of 11.2 TW of installed renewable power capacity by 2030 remains within reach, thanks to record-breaking renewables additions for a third consecutive year in 2024. However, it also flagged bottlenecks in investment, grids, supply chains, and skills, urging for bolder national renewable targets before COP30.

and it pinpointed geographical imbalances in renewable deployment, continuously threatening a just and inclusive transition.

implementation took center stage, but ambition gaps persist At COP30, implementation was front and center, with a strong focus on how to advance existing commitments. Parties reaffirmed the central role of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in guiding the transition.

the trends in energy sector commitments in NDC 3.0s reflect a growing alignment with the UAE Consensus goals, which countries are increasingly integrating into national plans, emphasizing renewable deployment and low-carbon technologies. Published at COP30, IRENA’s new report on Climate Action Support 2025 shows how IRENA actively engages with its Members to assist in the development of climate commitments.

to date, the Agency has provided support to 102 countries through 240 activities since 2020, representing a combined population of 6.0 billion people globally. Grids and flexibility recognized as essential pillars of the transition To translate commitments into action, COP30 witnessed a strong push for the Climate Action Agenda, inspired to foster engagement from businesses, investors, and civil society by scaling the many initiatives already in motion. In Belem, particularly the importance of building enabling infrastructure for the energy transition gained further prominence, with discussions underscoring the need for expanded, modernized, and flexible grids to accommodate and encourage higher shares of renewable power generation.

according to IRENA, substantial additional investment will be required, with USD 791-912 billion per year needed for grids and flexibility to 2030, including around USD 670 billion annually to strengthen electricity grids so that new cost-effective renewable capacity can be effectively used while maintaining secure and reliable system operation.

the Utilities for Net Zero Alliance (UNEZA) advanced this agenda by collectively committing to invest USD 1.0 trillion to 2030 in grids, storage, and new transmission corridors. While the commitments are not yet in line with the level necessary, they showcase a concrete commitment by utilities to move this forward. Global financing gap remains wide Discussions at COP30 repeatedly highlighted the persistent misalignment between the pace of renewable deployment and the scale of finance available, particularly in emerging markets and developing economies where investment flows remain well below the levels required for a 1.5 °C-consistent pathway.

iRENA’s new Global Landscape of Energy Transition Finance 2025 report confirms that global investments in the energy transition reached a new record of USD 2.4 trillion in 2024. But despite this milestone, year-onyear growth of renewables slowed significantly, with annual investments increasing by 7.3% in 2024, compared to 32% the year before. Furthermore, 90% remained concentrated in advanced economies and China, leaving emerging and developing countries behind. Supply-chain resilience gained recognition Renewable-energy supply chains, spanning manufacturing, critical minerals, components, and logistics, are increasingly recognized as central to the success of the global energy transition. Persistent vulnerabilities and concentration risks need to be addressed to support a secure and sustainable scaleup of renewables.

at COP30, supply chains featured more prominently in ministerial discussions and in the Climate Action Agenda. For example, UNEZA and the Global Clean Power Alliance (GCPA) announced a new strategic partnership to address supply chain challenges affecting the power sector globally. Strengthening supply-chain resilience remains an important area for continued international co-operation, particularly as countries seek to reconcile energy security, affordability, and sustainability objectives. Skills and workforce development remain key enablers of just transition.

the COP30 outcome reaffirms equity, intergenerational fairness, and international cooperation as core principles and calls on countries, subnational authorities, civil society, and the private sector to accelerate action.

these references are consistent with IRENA’s recognition that workforce development, skills, social protection, and inclusive policy frameworks are key enablers of a just and equitable energy transition that leaves no one behind.

iRENA’s ongoing work on skills and socioeconomic impacts provides an important foundation that can be further used to support countries in aligning social outcomes with the broader objectives of the energy transition

Gas supply has been suspended in the PanchabatiMuktarapur area and its adjacent N a r a y a n g a n j and Munshiganj districts after a gas pipeline was damaged during road construction work.

titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited announced the temporary suspension in a press release issued on 23 November.

the Titas Gas authorities said the gas pipeline was damaged during construction work on the Panchabati-Muktarapur flyover.

an emergency team is currently working to repair the pipeline leak, it said.

titas Gas authorities expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to customers due to the temporary disruption

The government recently approved a proposal in principle for procuring LNG from Aramco Trading Singapore Pte Ltd.

under short-term arrangement on Government-to-Government (G2G) basis to meet the country’s growing demand for energy.

the approval came from the 37th meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Economic Affairs in this year held at the Cabinet Division Conference Room at Bangladesh Secretariat with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair. Placed by the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, the meeting approved the proposal which sought processing on short-term LNG procurement, on a Government-to-Government (G2G) basis, from Aramco Trading Singapore Pte Ltd. under Section 68 of the Public Procurement Act, 2006, and relevant provisions of the Public Procurement Rules, 2025.

The curtain on COP30 or the UN Climate Change Conference in the Brazilian city of Belem fell in the last week of November amid commitments, hopes, rage and disappointment.

there have been reaffirmation of commitments to move away from fossil fuels, but the pledges by the rich countries have fallen short of any concrete roadmap of how to cut down the carbon emission responsible for global warming.

the culprits behind the global warming have long been identified as coal, oil and gas. Sadly, like in the previous years the rich nations failed to live up to the expectations of at least 80 countries which pressed for the concrete roadmap on how to implement the commitments on reducing the use of fossil fuels and check the global warning at 1.5C of pre industrial level.

once again the fossil fuel – the elephant in the room – got less attention from the rich nations. Even though the summit saw deep divisions among the nations some positive developments did not go unnoticed. ‘While deep divisions were on display in Belém, we also saw strong ambition from countries to continue working together on the transition away from fossil fuels,’ said Patricia Fuller, IISD president and CEO. ‘This work will go beyond COP 30.’ Not many will agree with him though. This year’s climate summit raised hope that there will be steps to build on commitments to move away from fossil fuels, phase out fossil fuel subsidies and boost the use of renewables.

at least 88 countries have pushed for the issues to be included in the final declaration but what they received is disappointment.

there has been no commitment on reforming the fossil fuel subsidies. Many participants, however, wondered what happed to the Presidency’s call for ‘implementation COP.’ Instead, the outcome saw deep divisions on finance, trade measures, mitigation pathways, and other areas. ‘The outcome of the conference left many disappointed, including more than 80 countries that pushed for a roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels in the final deal.

those who supported a stronger outcome on climate finance for developing countries were equally discouraged,’ according to a group of climate change experts. Despite absence of a consensus Brazil played a key role in intensifying the debate on fossil fuels, seen as a political breakthrough.

according to a summit document ‘On the political dimension, Brazil led an unprecedented global debate on the future of fossil fuels. Despite the absence of consensus, with more than 80 countries supporting explicit language and over 80 opposing it, the Brazilian Presidency announced, on its own initiative, processes to develop two key roadmaps: Transition to a fossil fuel-free economy in a just, orderly, and equitable manner; Forest and Climate Roadmap to halt and reverse deforestation. Still, there were some positive outcomes and a clear desire to make progress in the months and years ahead, including through collaboration outside of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process.

the issue of tackling the fossil fuel and arriving at an agreement on this will have to wait until COP 31 convene in Turkiye, with Australia serving as the ‘President of Negotiations.’ Both Australia and Turkiye were determined to host the next summit. The compromise arrived at Belem has been a positive development.

at Belem summit Bangladesh played a critical role advocating for climate justice, adaptation, and finance by pushing for the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund, demanding a new, scaledup global climate finance goal ($1.3 trillion by 2035), and prioritizing direct access to funds for local communities and women.

the country also emphasized the need to scale up adaptation finance, increase green technology transfer, and secure international recognition for climate migrant

United States Energy Association (USEA) President and CEO Mark Menezes recently released a statement regarding the completion of negotiations on Civil Nuclear Cooperation signed between US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud. ‘The United States Energy Association strongly supports the completion of negotiations on Civil Nuclear Cooperation between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,’ Menezes said. ‘This is a historic and pivotal moment that underscores the power of international energy collaboration in advancing shared strategic interests. ‘The energy landscape in the U.S.

is exhibiting a consistent strength in our energy sources, with nuclear energy taking a position in new capacity additions.

it’s a dynamic picture, and one that we at USEA will continue to monitor with keen interest at home and abroad.’