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‘Investment in research needed to boost renewable energy’


Published : 12 Apr 2021 10:05 PM

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said investment in research is needed to increase the prevalence of renewable energy. It is high time to discover new technology to reduce the amount of land needed for solar power. Investment and research in waste to power or wind to power projects will be welcomed.

The state minister said this while virtually addressing the "Second Virtual Ministerial Meeting of the COP26 Energy Transition Council (CoP26 ETC)" on Monday. He said the Energy Transition Council is working to build a sustainable power system using clean energy through mutual cooperation and exchange of experiences.

Bangladesh is very positive about the use of clean energy. Bangladesh Energy and Power Research Council have been working since 2015 to increase research and capacity on renewable energy, clean and green energy. Since 2014, the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority has been cooperating with partners in various ways to increase energy efficiency, renewable energy development and utilization.

Power Week has been organized since 2010 to raise awareness. The Minister of State for Power also said that Bangladesh is moving forward from developing to middle income country, from middle income country to developed country, from fossil energy to renewable energy, from job to entrepreneur, from digitalization to industrial revolution etc. Power System Master Plan has been prepared keeping in view the energy diversification, clean energy and climate change in coordination with Vision-2021, Vision-2041, Eighth Five Year Plan, Delta Plan. Which is updated from time to time in the context of the surroundings. By 2041, 18% of the total electricity generated will be generated from renewable energy. 20 million rural people have been electrified through 5.8 million solar home systems. Due to scarcity of land, it is not possible to build large scale solar power plants. Bangladesh would welcome technology that requires less land.

The virtual event, chaired by Damilola Ogunbiyi, vice-president of CoP26 ETC, was attended by, Indian Minister of State for Power RK Singh, Nigerian Minister of State for Power Goddy Jedy Agba, Egyptian Minister of Power and Renewable Energy Ahmed Kudian, Moroccan Minister of Power Aziz Rabbah, Indonesia, Kenya, Laos, Pakistan, Philippines, Delegations from South Africa and Vietnam among others.