Renewable energy is the future

In a welcome development the tech giant Huawei has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) with the objectives of taking steps to tackle the current energy crisis. According to a desk report of this newspaper under the agreement, Huawei and BGMEA will work together to help the garment factories become ‘green factories’ by shifting to renewable source of energy.

Renewables are the future. Fossil fuels are finite and already their substitutes are being adopted in various parts of the globe. The authorities here are trying to promote renewable energy across the country With climate change becoming a looming threat the country must look for ways to increase the use of renewable energy sources like solar power. Solar energy generates energy without releasing greenhouse effect gases (GHG), making them an indispensable ally in the battle against climate change and environmental degradation. In any case fossil fuels will be depleted in the long run unlike solar power.

Civilisation, as it stands today, is dependent on electric power. There is a direct relationship between GDP growth rate and electricity growth rate in a country. Bangladesh is said to be one of the biggest energy-starved countries, with the present demand for electricity at 7500 plus MW (Mega Watt) as opposed to the production of 5000 to 5800 MW. Access to electricity in Bangladesh is one of the lowest in the world with about 40 percent of the total population without access to adequate, cheap and quality energy. At present, we have to depend on indigenous and imported energy resources, which are finite as well – gas, oil, furnace oil and coal– to produce electricity. And about 55 per cent of our natural gas is being used to produce this power. The reserve of gas is not infinite and will soon run out. Before all the non-renewables are depleted the country must adopt alternative energy sources, be it renewable with a bio-ecological/green revolution or nuclear power plants.

Nuclear energy must be used be Bangladesh to ensure mass production of low cost electricity. The government has been saying for quite some time now that the country’s solution to the perennial problem of energy crisis is through nuclear power production. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself has stressed the on need for nuclear energy while cautioning that there must be no compromise with safety issues.

Safety factor is crucial regarding nuclear energy. Nuclear power plants are usually built in remote, sparsely populated areas to ensure that accidental discharges in the form of solid, liquid and gas do not expose surrounding population to high doses of radiation. In densely Bangladesh such areas are at a premium and Roopur the Bangladesh’s only nuclear power plant is landlocked and there are large concentrations of people all around.  Even in developed countries where the power plants are in located in isolated areas there have been catastrophic nuclear power plant accidents. However there is little to doubt that nuclear energy is clean, economical and efficient. Unlike plants based on fossil fuels which spew tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year, nuclear power plants don't produce noxious fumes. Nuclear power is considered carbon-free and produces more electricity than other renewables like solar and wind. Nuclear power plants produce far more energy than coal, wind or solar for less cost– a significant factor for Bangladesh where bulk of the foreign exchange is spent to import oil.

We also should invest both money and brains in other sustainable renewable energy sources. Experts believe that Bangladesh is in a position to exploit solar and wind power because it nature has blessed it with virtual year-round sunshine and wind. Bangladesh receives a daily average of 4–6.5 kWh/m2 as solar radiation. Despite the large potential, utilisation of solar energy has been limited to traditional uses such as farming and fish drying in the open sun. Solar photovoltaic (PV) are gaining acceptance for providing electricity to households and small businesses in rural areas.