by Ershadul Huq
DHAKA, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Power-starved Bangladesh has decided to use solar power in all new public buildings now to save electricity as a means of stop-gap period as the country has signed agreement for nuclear power with Russia.
The government's decision came at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), the highest policy making body of the government. The prime minister's Energy Adviser Toufiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said last week that considering the cost, these will be installed first in new buildings and then gradually in old ones. The adviser said, "We will have to build the mentality of saving first. If we can match the usage with production, then 10 to 30 percent electricity can be saved."
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the government has taken plans to set up solar power plants to generate 280 MW by 2013. She told the parliament that the country, which has now short of about 1,200 to 1,700 MW power, would get rid of the power crisis by 2011 as 1,487 MW of power will be generated and added to the national grid by then.
"Bangladesh will be self sufficient in power by 2021 and 100 percent of the people in the country will get electricity facility in line with government's vision," Hasina said.
According to reports, Bangladesh at present generates 3,800 MW power daily against its pick hour demand of 5,500 MW everyday.
Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL), a government partner non-bank financial institution, has planned to set up multipurpose Solar Irrigation System (SIS) in off-grid areas of the country.
"We are working to introduce mini-power plants within a year. It will be a large-scale investment and its benefit in rural areas will be comprehensive," IDCOL chief executive officer Islam Sharif said recently.
Niaz Rahin, chief of solar power project of Rahim Afrose, the country's largest battery cell producer, said on Wednesday that if the government was able to run the irrigation pumps with solar power, it could save over 284 million U.S. dollars worth foreign exchange.
IDCOL now promotes solar home system in rural areas of Bangladesh. Islam Sharif said there are some 1.3 million irrigation pumps across the country which consume about 750 MW of electricity everyday during irrigation season. "We will install solar panels for all the irrigation pumps that will help save some750 MW of power," he said.
Bangladesh has signed a protocol deal with Russia on Oct. 21 after series talks on cooperation in the field of peaceful usage of atomic energy as the country plans to install a nuclear power plant in Pabna district, some 216 km northwest of capital Dhaka.
The agreement was signed in the Russia capital Moscow during the visit of a nine-member Bangladeshi delegation headed by State Minister for Science and Information and Communication Technology Yeafesh Osman.
In line with the protocol, a joint working group between Bangladesh and Russia will be formed and its composition and schedule will be defined in the working process.
The power ministry estimates that the country need 6 billion U.S. dollars of investment for generating 3,000 MW new power and setting up new transmission and distribution line.
This required investment is in addition to the existing on-going power projects totaling 3,547 MW capacity.
Besides, the government plans to add 450 MW power by 2013 using renewable energy technology like solar and wind energy. "This time we will make it happens," secretary of the power ministry Abul Kalam Azad told a discussion meeting recently.
Dipal Chandra Barua, Managing Director of Grameen Shakti, a sister organization of the Grameen Bank, told Xinhua in an interview that his organization is producing 14 MW solar power across the rural Bangladesh and proving electricity to 280,000 rural household, where there is no supply of electricity.
Several other NGOs are also generating solar power and distributing those to rural people. The country is producing at least 16 MW solar power daily and the number of beneficiaries is around three million people.
The Grameen Shakti is covering all the 64 districts of Bangladesh, Barua said.
He said Bangladesh has enough opportunity to produce solar energy as the country gets sunlight on an average 340 days of 365 days of a year. Barua said the sunlight are also available during the rest 25 days, panels of solar energy can acquire energy to run a household requirement.
Fifteen other agencies are generating solar power, but Shakti is the largest.
Barua said at present they are setting up on average 10,000 solar panels monthly.
Experts believe solar power system can be the best power option to get over the country's vexing power crisis.
Barua said, "Solar power system has a bright prospect in Bangladesh, but the country's potential still remains untapped simply for lack of initiatives." He said 50 percent people of the country could be brought under the solar power network within next seven years if the government wants to do so.
