697 MW renewable energy by 2019

The government has targeted to generate 697 MW electricity from renewable energy sources within 2019 aimed at joining the path of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the country.

Besides, the government fixed another target for 10 percent power to be procured from the renewable energy sources from 2020 and onward by following the Renewable Energy Policy, said State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid while talking to BSS today.

“As a matter of fact, both the figures are parts of a total 3,100 MW electricity to be generated by 2021 under an initiative already undertaken by the government,” he said. As high as 433 MW electricity is now being generated from the renewable energy sources in the country.

The present government has already brought around two crore people under power facility by installing 50 lakh Solar Home System across the country, the largest in the world as described by Nasrul Hamid.

According to data from various stakeholders, some 50,00,000 Solar Home System, Solar Irrigation 441, Solar Drinking Water System 122, Biogas Plant 45,070, Improved Cook Stove 30,22,213, Improved Rice Parboiling System 75 have been installed in the country.

Besides, the government took project to install solar panel having 145 MW power by 2018, while other renewable energy initiative would generate 552 MW electricity within 2019.

An official of the ministry said the government formed Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) for promoting sustainable energy and targeted to generate electricity 2,000 MW in 2021 and 4,000 MW in 2030. The present renewable energy and energy efficiency scenario of Bangladesh is 423 MW and renewable energy share reached to 3.45 percent.

The energy efficiency master plan targeted to save power by 15 percent by 2021 and 20 percent by 2030 and the SREDA will play a pivotal role to achieve these targets, he said.

The official, however, said Bangladesh aspiring to become a middle income country by 2021, is expecting gradual increase in energy production and energy use to meet its demand and 78 percent people are enjoying electricity access and there is a plan to bring all citizens under power access by
2021.

Considering the climate change issue and its effect, the government is also implementing climate friendly initiatives and working with the national policy to protect the environment from any natural disasters that may occur in future, he said.

The government signed an agreement to install a solar park having capacity of 200 MW solar power at Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar. The solar park would join power production by June 2018 along with 30 MW from
Rangachhara in Rangpur.

Besides, the state-run IDCOL started the SHS program in January 2003 to fulfill basic electricity requirement of the off-grid rural people of Bangladesh as well as supplement the government’s vision of ensuring access to electricity for all citizens of Bangladesh by 2021.

So far the IDCOL approved 18 Solar Mini-Grid Projects, among which 7 are operational while the rest are under construction. The mini-grid project successfully created access to low- emission electricity for almost 5,000 rural households in the country.

It further targets to install 50 solar mini-grid by 2018 and approved 459 solar irrigation pumps of which 324 are already in operation. The remaining pumps are expected to come into operation shortly.

The program has been acclaimed as one of the largest and the fastest growing off-grid renewable energy program in the world, it said.

Source : BSS