Category: Energy and Power

State-owned Bangladesh Shipping Corporation sent a proposal to the energy ministry through the shipping ministry on June 19, expressing its interest in operating the pipeline with assistance from a third party.

BSC wants to run the pipeline under the Direct Purchase Method (DPM), said a senior official. ‘Since the shipping corporation is a state-owned enterprise, we could not respond to the international tender,’ he said.

About the shipping corporation’s plan, officials said they intend to run the pipeline through an experienced foreign operator for the first few years. ‘Working with a foreign organization will help us build skilled manpower.

India has issued 3,600 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy tenders in September under the project development category.

According to JMK Research, Deendayal Port Authority has invited bids for a 1,000 MW solar project in Gujarat, whilst SJVN has invited bids for a 600 MW ISTS-connected wind project.

There were also over 3,000 MW of EPC tenders issued in September.

This includes Coal India Limited (CIL) for developing 3,000 MW of solar projects spread across Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. From January to August 2025, about 25,264 MW of solar and 4,517 MW of wind capacity were added across India for a cumulative renewable energy capacity of 242.6 gigawatts.

Nepalese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ghanashyam Bhandari has called for strengthening cooperation between Nepal and Bangladesh in key areas such as trade and investment, energy, education, tourism, people-to-people exchanges, and LDC graduation.

The ambassador made the remarks while delivering a lecture titled ‘NepalBangladesh Relations: Pathways for Enhanced Economic and Educational Cooperation’ at Daffodil International University (DIU) in Dhaka recently, said a press release of Nepal embassy in Dhaka.

Adviser of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan recently said a section of politicians and their allied businessmen have created the ongoing crisis in the gas sector. ‘The crisis in the gas sector did not happen overnight or by itself.

A group of politicians and their business associates have brought us to today’s situation,’ he said.

He made the remarks while speaking at a discussion titled ‘LPG in Bangladesh: Economy, Environment and Safety’ held at the Hotel Sonargaon in Dhaka. Fouzul Kabir said unnecessary capacity was built in power generation without considering the required gas supply to support it. ‘In the private sector, many industries were promised gas connections.

Even knowing there was no gas, lines were given, unjustly, through corruption.

As a result, we are now facing this crisis,’ he added.

He pointed out the difference between gas and electricity, saying, ‘In electricity, you can shut off supply in one area and redirect it elsewhere.

But that cannot be done with gas.

It’s first come, first served, whoever comes first, gets it.’

Bangladesh has lost around Tk 1,200 crore in missed savings over the last one and a half years due to the delay in commercial launch of a dual pipeline that can carry imported oil directly from Cox’s Bazar’s Maheshkhali to Patenga in the port city.

Though construction of the pipeline under the Tk 8,300-crore Single Point Mooring (SPM) project was completed in March last year, the government has not been able to find an operator, leaving the facility idle.

According to the Development Project Proposal, once implemented, the SPM project would save Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) around Tk 800 crore annually in fuel transportation costs.

The delay stems from the interim government’s decision not to give the job to any company without a tender, as well as the failure to select a qualified operator through a tender, said officials at BPC and Petroleum Transmission Company Limited (PTCL). Moreover, 44,000 tonnes of fuel oil worth around Tk 300 crore have remained stuck in the 220km dual pipeline since March last year.

The world needs more investment in oil and gas as they will continue to account for a large part of the global energy mix in 2050, OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais said recently, reiterating the cartel’s view that investment in new supply will be needed in the foreseeable future. Primary energy demand will jump by 23% by 2050, Al Ghais said in remarks to the Russian Energy Week conference in Moscow.

And oil will still represent 30% of total global energy consumption in 2050, OPEC’s Secretary General said. Growing economies, urbanization, and rising population numbers lead ‘to one clear signal that the world will need much more energy than it is consuming today,’ Al Ghais added.

Earlier this year, OPEC said in its annual World Oil Outlook (WOO) that oil demand is set to continue rising through 2050, with consumption expected at 123 million barrels per day (bpd) then, up from about 104 million bpd this year.

The world needs global oil industry investment of $18.2 trillion out to 2050, Al Ghais wrote in a foreword to the outlook. ‘It is vital that these investments are made for consumers and producers everywhere, as well as for the effective functioning of the global economy at large,’ he added.

Bangladesh’s power regulator has started accepting bids for 17 rooftop solar systems totaling 72.5 MW, marking the first government-backed purchases under the National Rooftop Solar Program 2025.

The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has issued tenders to install 17 rooftop solar systems with a combined capacity of 72.5 MW.

The systems will be deployed under a third-party opex model, with the BPDB purchasing electricity from companies that build, own, and operate the installations.

The initiative is part of the National Rooftop Solar Program 2025, which aims to generate 3,000 MW from rooftop solar across state-owned buildings, including schools, hospitals, and rail stations.

The program supports the Renewable Energy Policy 2025, targeting 20% of electricity demand from renewables by 2030 and 30% by 2040.

A senior official at BPDB, said the board will provide rooftops while developers secure financing. ‘The developers have to quote power prices lower than that of the prices presently the distribution companies pay to the power suppliers,’ he said. Contracts are expected to be awarded by December, with installations completed within two months.

A mobile court in Keraniganj has disconnected several illegal gas lines from industrial and residential users, saving the government an estimated Taka 20 lakh worth of gas per month.

The drive, led by Executive Magistrate Monija Khatun under the supervision of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, was conducted in Baherchar and Rayerchar areas of Shakta Union under Keraniganj Model Police Station, said a press release. During the operation, illegal gas connections in six industrial factories and three residential houses were removed.

Evidence of unauthorized gas use was found in five washing and wire factories as well as one under-construction factory under the Jinjira branch of Medhabibi-2.

A total load of 9,100 cubic feet per hour was cut off from the factories that had been using gas illegally for boilers, dryers, and furnaces.

Among them were four washing factories, including Haven Washing, and one wire factory in the Baherchar area.

The Green Skills Summit 2025, organized as a part of Shoktikonna Leadership Cohort, brought together more than 200 participants from across Bangladesh’s sustainable energy sectors to celebrate and accelerate women’s leadership in the country’s green transition.

The summit marked a major step forward in connecting education, industry, and policy toward an inclusive green energy transition.

Shoktikonna Leadership Cohort is a platform developed to empower young women aspiring to build careers in Bangladesh’s sustainable energy sector. Now in its third cohort, more than 100 young women in STEM fields have already graduated from Shoktikonna, many of whom are now working in renewable energy, clean technology, and environmental management roles.

The third cohort is supported by the European Union in Bangladesh, German development cooperation, and The World Bank, and implemented by GIZ Bangladesh and Devtale Partners.

The Green Skills Summit 2025 aimed to be a bridge between aspiration and opportunity.

Industry representatives and development partners emphasized the urgent need to align skill-building programs with emerging demands in the renewable and sustainable sectors.

I n f r a s t r u c t u r e D e v e l o p m e n t C o m p a n y Limited (IDCOL) has officially resumed its f i n a n c i n g support for Solar Irrigation Pumps (SIPs) with a renewed strategy and structure, marking a significant step toward decarbonizing Bangladesh’s agricultural sector.

To commemorate this milestone, IDCOL hosted a signing ceremony on 14 October 2025 at its Multipurpose Conference Hall in Dhaka.

The event celebrated IDCOL’s partnership with WAVE Foundation, which has received approval of BDT 34.9 crore in financing, supported by KfW, Germany, for the implementing 56 SIPs, including 39 grid-integrated sites across Chuadanga, Jhenaidah, and Kushtia.

This initiative aligns with the government’s mandate to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and promote sustainable agricultural practices.

Alamgir Morshed, Executive Director and CEO of IDCOL, delivered welcome remarks, highlighting IDCOL’s longterm commitment to deploying 10,000 SIPs by 2030.

The ceremony was graced by the presence of Michael SumserHellstern, Director of the KfW office in Bangladesh, as a special guest.