‘More waste-to-energy plants’

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mohammad Tajul Islam said the government is working to build waste-to-energy plants across the country.

“At first, we are initiating projects in city corporation areas. Later, we will expand to the municipality level to make waste management powerhouses,” he said while attending a signing ceremony of a waste-based 6MW power plant to be set up in Narayanganj.

The agreement was signed on Thursday between the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) and Chinese firm U&D to develop the country’s second waste-based power plant.

The power plant will generate 6 MW of electricity from the garbage of Narayanganj city and adjoining areas.

The minister said the waste generation has increased across the country.

“If we don’t take action now, the environment will be destroyed, rivers polluted.”

He also said the power generation project from waste in Dhaka North City Corporation will start operation very soon. Moreover, several other projects under Dhaka South City Corporation, Gazipur City Corporation and Khulna City Corporation are also on the cards.

‘Fuel price hike causing trouble for everyone’

While attending the programme, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said the recent fuel price hike is causing trouble for everyone.

“We are trying to get out of this situation soon. I request everybody to have patience for the next two or three months,” he said.

State Minister Nasrul Hamid also said the Russia-Ukraine war has created a deep energy crisis across the world and Bangladesh is not an exception.

He hopes that the country will overcome the load shedding crisis by the end of this month.

Earlier, a similar agreement was signed in December last year between the BPDB, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and the Chinese firm CMEC to develop the country’s first-ever waste-based power plant in Dhaka with an electricity generation capacity of 42.5 MW from the garbage in the capital.

As per the agreement, Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) will supply 600 metric tons of garbage to U&D plant to generate 6MW electricity, which the BPDB will purchase at a rate of $20.19 cents (about Tk 20 per unit) for a period of over 25 years.

A number of associated agreements were signed between the parties to implement the projects under which the NCC will also provide 10 acres of land to set up incineration and power plant at Jalkuri in Narayanganj city while the U&D will complete the construction of the project and start commercial operation within 15 months from the financial closing.