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State Minister for Power and Energy Anindya Islam Amit
The government is working on both short- and long-term plans to address the ongoing challenges in the power and energy sectors, State Minister for Power and Energy Anindya Islam Amit said today.
He also said a 10-year action plan for the country’s power and energy sector would be presented in Parliament, with the views and recommendations of political parties, opposition parties, experts and other relevant stakeholders given due importance.
The state minister made the remarks at a discussion titled “Crisis in the Energy Sector: Prospects and Ways Forward” organised by the Forum for Energy Reporters Bangladesh (FERB) at Dhaka Club.
He said the government was holding both formal and informal discussions with experts and stakeholders to identify solutions to problems in the country’s power and energy sectors. Parliament is being considered an important platform for such policy discussions and exchanges of views, he added.
The government is also taking steps to ensure a stronger role in the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sector. Although several companies currently import LPG, the government believes its involvement needs to be strengthened to maintain stable supply and prices in the market. To this end, the government is considering importing LPG on its own by utilising existing infrastructure and skilled manpower.
The state minister said land had already been identified at Matarbari for the construction of an LNG terminal. The necessary procedures would be completed and construction would begin within the stipulated timeframe, he said.
He explained that simply having sufficient funds would not allow the country to immediately increase LNG imports. Necessary infrastructure, particularly LNG terminals and unloading facilities, must first be available. Therefore, the government is prioritising infrastructure development as part of its long-term energy security strategy.
According to the state minister, one of the major reasons for the country’s electricity shortage is the inability to ensure adequate fuel supplies for power plants.
He said the country’s daily gas demand currently exceeds 1,200 million cubic feet. Meeting this demand through a combination of domestic production and imports has become increasingly difficult, while domestic gas production is also declining. As a result, the government is considering both expanding domestic exploration and production and increasing reliance on imports to address the energy crisis.
He said the government had worked to reduce public suffering after taking office, even though it had not been possible to resolve the crisis completely at once. Ensuring adequate funding to maintain normal energy supplies remains a major challenge. He compared the situation to that of a middle-class family, saying the government too has to coordinate its spending across different sectors with limited resources.
On renewable energy, he said the government has set a target, in line with its election pledge, to generate 20 percent of total electricity production capacity from renewable sources. Preparations are under way to generate around 10,000 megawatts of electricity from renewable energy within the next four and a half years.
He also said private-sector entrepreneurs had shown interest in establishing LNG terminals. A foreign investor group has expressed interest in setting up a large-scale LNG terminal, and the government has asked the group to submit a formal proposal.
Alongside LNG and LPG, he stressed the importance of increasing domestic energy production.
A bidding round for new gas exploration has already been launched, and the government expects to complete the process by November.
Regarding coal-fired power plants, he said such plants could play an important role in meeting the country’s electricity demand. Operating these plants at around 85 percent capacity would represent an ideal situation, he said. However, dependence on imported coal is putting pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves.
He said Bangladesh has significant coal reserves underground, but any decision on their use must be carefully considered. Stakeholders will be consulted before decisions are made, taking into account public interest, environmental concerns and the optimal use of the country’s resources.
The state minister also said the government was planning to send officials abroad for certificate courses lasting between six months and two years, instead of the short-term training programmes previously provided. The aim is to develop a skilled workforce that can become a valuable national resource.
He pointed out that a large number of Bangladeshis are already working with international energy companies with considerable expertise. With appropriate training and skills development, Bangladeshi professionals could become one of the country’s major assets in the power and energy sector in the future, he said.
He further said all government procurement activities would follow transparency requirements and public procurement rules. Every initiative in the power and energy sectors would be implemented with national interests given the highest priority.
The state minister expressed the view that coordinated initiatives, greater exploration of domestic resources, expansion of import infrastructure, promotion of renewable energy and development of skilled manpower could bring positive changes to the country’s power and energy sector in the coming days.
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