Promises never kept

Frustratingly the target of increasing power generation from the ecofriendly sources set 27 years ago has not been achieved till date.

While there has been record power generation from high-cost fossil fuels but only 1 per cent of it comes from renewable sources.

The clean energy experts say Bangladesh has high potential to produce electricity from clean energy sources and different international studies have proved it.

The government’s indifference has created a depressing condition in the sector.

Long journey with abysmal failure

Bangladesh entered the renewable energy sector in 1962 with the construction of a hydropower plant at Kaptai in Rangamati district.

At that time the total power generation capacity of East Pakistan was only 488MW. After 62 years, it has reached 25,560MW of power generation.

But Bangladesh’s record of generating electricity from renewable energy except Kaptai and solar project has not been smooth.

MD Rahmatullah, a former Director General (DG) of Power Cell, told The Business Post that in 1995 when he was the DG the plan was to add 5 per cent renewable energy in 2000 and 10 per cent in 2005. It is very unfortunate that we are still hovering around those targets with no progress in sight. In reality, fossil fuels traders do not want to go for renewable energy because of involvement of a section of people in corruption.

Repeated plans yielded no result

The country’s first policy Power System Master Plan was taken up in 1995 to produce more than 5 per cent electricity generation from clean sources by 2000 and to increase it to 10 per cent in 2005.

After that 27 years have elapsed and by the time three power system master plans have been drawn up in 2005, 2010 and 2016.

Separate policies were adopted in 2008 for the development of renewable energy. Bangladesh could not get out of this 5 and 10 per cent target cycle.

Even power generation capacity from renewable sources has not exceeded 3 per cent till today. Now the government has targeted in its eighth five year plan to add 40 per cent renewable energy to its total electricity generation by 2041.

‘’I have had 25-year experience in the renewable power generation sector and I am very frustrated.”

The Eighth Five-Year Plan clearly said power generation from renewable sources must be increased to address climate vulnerability. But it’s not just an action plan, said Bangladesh Solar and Renewable Energy Association (BSREA) President Dipal C Barua.

Reasons for failure

In 2014, the government made it mandatory to install solar power on the roofs of houses to increase power generation from renewable energy.

Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) Solar Help Desk said the project had totally failed. 90 per cent of the houses in Dhaka city have now turned into electric waste with Tk4, 000 crore solar panels completely out of order.

The clean energy experts and insiders said although the price of solar power per unit has dropped by 72 per cent globally in the last seven years, it has not been recognized as the mainstream future power generation source in Bangladesh.

According to BSREA, solar business has been declining since 2016 due to the expansion of the electricity network.

In last March the government declared 100 per cent electrification. The solar minigrid project is now in a challenge because many are moving towards grid electricity. Thousands of crore investment are in risk, said the organization.

Director of the UCC Solar Limited Mahfuz Ur Rahman Bhuiyan said import duty on renewable energy technologies is much higher.

Now the import duty on solar panel is 10 per cent, inverter 37 per cent, DC cables 58.60 per cent, structures 58.60 per cent and FRP walkway 15.25 per cent.

The new budget proposed to increase the duty on panel imports. We will face more challenges, because 50 per cent of the cost of a project lies with solar panel.

The power division does not want renewable energy to be developed. That’s why they are not allowing SREDA to develop. In order to implement the vision of renewable energy, a separate ministry has to be formed, Dipal C Baruah told The Business Post.

What the government is doing

SREDA data shows, the country is now getting 788MW power from renewable sources. Of which, solar power is 544MW, hydro 230MW, wind 2.9MW, biogas 0.69MW and biomass 0.4MW.

The SREDA said since the establishment of Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) in 1997, it has installed more than 6 million solar home systems.

Besides, public private agreement (PPA) has been signed for installation of more than 2300 solar irrigation pumps for agricultural use, 26 solar minigrid projects, and 400MW utility scale solar park project.

Besides, initiative has been taken to set up a 245MW wind power plant.

Power Secretary MD Habibur Rahman told The Business Post, “We have completed infrastructure and drawn up policies to develop renewable energy. We are also getting plenty of offers from the private sector. The problem is we have less land than required.”

Potential for clean energy

According to a research paper published in 2016 by a research team from Stanford University in the United States, it is possible to meet the total electricity demand of Bangladesh by 2050 from renewable energy and it will save Tk2, 000 per capita every year.

One hundred economic zones will be ready in the country very soon. Besides, there are many empty roofs of industrial and commercial buildings.

It is possible to generate about 500MW of electricity in each economic zone. Renewable energy now requires separate allocation and research and patronage, an entrepreneur Mahfuzur Rahman Bhuiyan said.