Bangladesh PM: 3 million more to get renewable energy

Nov 10 - Forexpros

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her government had planned to provide solar home system to three million more rural families through Infrastructure Development Company Limited (Idcol) in next three years.

"We have set a target to provide solar energy facility to three million more families over the next three years as part of the scheme to produce 24,000MW electricity by 2021 with 10 percent from solar power."

She was addressing a function at a city hotel marking the landmark of installing three million solar home systems in the country.

Hasina said there are huge potentials of solar-based irrigation pumps in the country. At present, the number of diesel-run irrigation pumps in the country is 14 lakh. "For these, we've to import a huge quantity of diesel spending our valuable foreign exchange."

Besides, she said, to run 150,000 electricity-run irrigation pumps the power grid has to bear an immense pressure. "If a portion of these pumps can be put under the solar-based irrigation system, the import of diesel will decrease significantly and the pressure on the national grid will ease."

Idcol was established on May 14, 1997 by the then Awami League government. The Company was licensed by the Bangladesh Bank as a non-banking financial institution (NBFI) on January 5, 1998 .

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina underscored the need for transforming the country's existing carbon-based energy system into a smart, clean and effective energy one suiting the 21st century to ensure sustainable economic development.

She said to achieve this target taking public and private initiative, environmental planning and technological road map as well as global cooperation in large extent is needed.

Hasina said Idcol's Solar Home System is one of the largest and fastest growing off-grid renewable energy programmes in the world.

The primary objective is to supply clean electricity in the energy-starved off-grid rural areas of Bangladesh .

The Prime Minister said her government has formulated renewable energy policy and Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority Act laying emphasis on production and distribution of environmentally sustainable renewable energy.

The use of solar power has increased manifold as her government waived import duties and tax on solar accessories and channeling soft loan and grant to the people through Idcol, Hasina mentioned.

The Prime Minister said rural people now can afford buying solar home systems at a monthly installment of less than their kerosene cost due to various initiatives of the government.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said protection of environment is very crucial for sustainable development growth, reducing the consumption of fossil fuel. To do this happen, she said, there is need to put in place a smart, clean and efficient energy in place of carbonized fuel.

Laying importance on public-private partnership, environmental planning and technological road-map for building carbon efficient sustainable economic growth, the Prime Minister said, a massive global initiative is required for promoting development of renewable energy.

To make electricity facility available for all by 2021, the PM said, her government wants to enhance the electricity generation to 24,000mw of which 10 percent would come from the renewable energy.

Apart from importing 500-MW electricity from India , the government has signed a deal with Russia to set up nuclear power plant which would add 1000MW of more electricity to the national grid by 2018 and another 1000 MW by 2020, Hasina said.

Hasina said projects have been undertaken for the production of bio-gas, installation of solar-powered irrigation pumps and mini-grid system through Idcol.

Later, the prime minister through a video conference talked to the beneficiaries of Idcol solar home system, local parliament member and deputy commissioner of Char Janajat of Shibchar Upazila of Madaripur district.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, PM's adviser for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Affairs Dr Towfiq-e- Elahi Chowdhury , State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid, World Bank Country Director Johaness CM Zutt and Idcol Executive Director and CEO Mahmood Malik also spoke at the programme chaired by Idcol Chairman and ERD Secretary Mohammad Mejbahuddin.

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