Dhaka, Oct 22 – Planning Minister Abdul Mannan has said the government is serious about the development of renewable energy across Bangladesh.“One thing is sure that the government is serious about renewable energy. The Prime Minister is serious…we’ve formed Sreda to work on it,” he said while addressing a function marking the launch a study report and seminar on “100 percent Renewable Energy for Bangladesh” on Tuesday.
Local NGO Coastal Development Partnership (CDP) organised the function at Lakeshore Hotel in the city with Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) Chairman Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad in the chair.
Power Division’s Senior Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus, Environment, Forests and Climate Change Secretary Abdullah Al Mohsin Chowdhury, Executive Chairman (Secretary) of National Skill Development Authority (NSDA) Md Faruque Hossain and CDP chief coordinator Md Atiqur Rahman Tipu also spoke on the occasion.
About the study findings on the use of 6,500 square km of land to generate cent percent power from renewable energy, the planning minister said the matter is to be checked. “But we have to be optimistic about renewable energy. New technologies are coming to improve renewable energy and we have to work with the global community,” he said.
He said the government wants to exploit every alternative for renewable energy.
Mannan, however, said the economic aspect of the issue has to be taken into consideration.
Dr Ahmad Kaikaus questioned the findings of the study and observed that the whole study might have been carried out on the basis of assumption.
The environment, forest and climate change secretary said although Bangladesh is not responsible for any climate change, the country is the victim of its negative impacts.
The CDP officials informed that they together with the University of Technology Sydney, Bread for the World and the World Future Council conducted the study in 2018 to support the implementation of cent renewable energy transition till 2050.
The study underscored the need for reducing Bangladesh’s reliance on energy import, fostering energy sovereignty and accelerating sustainable development in Bangladesh.
The study analysed the technical renewable energy potential of Bangladesh, its future energy demand and optimal renewable energy deployment pathways to achieve 100 percent renewable by 2030, 2040 and 2050. – UNB
