Staff Correspondent
A competition among university students to find out innovative ideas to spread renewable energy across Bangladesh will be launched in October. The competition will help to promote and nurture new innovations, talent, and solutions in power and energy sector.
To this end Power Cell, Centre for Research and Information (CRI) and Green Delta Insurance Company Limited (GDIC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the CRI office recently in the capital.
CRI intends to engage the Young Bangla (youth network of CRI) to mobilise the project titled 'Bicchuron' all over the country.
The MoU signing ceremony was held in presence of State Minister for Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Nasrul Hamid; while other signatories were Power Cell Director General Mohammad Hossain, Farzanah Chowdhury, Managing Director & CEO, GDIC and Sabbir Bin Shams, Executive Director, CRI.
Introduction and promotion of sustainable & renewable energy in the private sector and community level of Bangladesh is a priority now. The project was signed in the backdrop of promoting innovation in sustainable & renewable energy which may solve power & energy challenges of the marginal group of the country. Two major areas of cooperation are identified which will be arranged upon the collaboration.
It will be an open competition for the youth of Bangladesh. The winner will be selected based on the innovative ideas supported by the basic scientific principles covering design, operation and utility aspects of the product in the renewable sector like solar, wind and biogas based energy solutions.
Five to ten projects will be examined and selected finally by an expert committee for consideration for financial support and execution at the community level. Selected projects will be funded for commercial operation and scale-up for sustainable business model.
Apart from the idea hunt competition, hundred local entrepreneurs will be selected from different parts of the country, who will be provided with technical, strategic and logistics support to roll out an easily scalable and implementable energy production solution.
In view of the challenge of primary fuel sourcing and supply, the government has developed the power generation strategy based on fuel diversification to enhance energy security. Alongside the conventional energy sources, renewable energy will play a significant role in meeting the future demand of electricity as well as fulfilling environmental obligations.
The Renewable Energy Policy of Bangladesh mandates that 10 percent of electricity to come from renewable energy sources by 2020. In absolute terms, this means that at least 2000 MW has to be generated from renewable energy sources by 2020. Currently, 600 MW electricity is being generated from renewable energy. However the government has taken various types of initiatives to increase use of renewable energy.
