Renewables Get Going Unsmart

There is no option now to increase the use of green energy and expedite decarbonization in the changed world order.

- Mollah Amzad Hossain

In a small country like ours and, the absence of a properly integrated power grid, Bangladesh should not take unplanned initiatives.

The way the variable renewable energy (VRE) projects are executed does not appear to be smartly planned. It is urgent to plan and action a well-crafted initiative for VRE expansion and its integration into the grid.

Bangladesh has joined the global mission for decarbonization of the power sector. Though the initiative has been launched over a decade and a half ago, the success is not mentionable yet. However, Bangladesh was the global leader in non-grid power supply through Solar Home Systems (SHSs).

Bangladesh is a trendsetter, but its SHS program got stuck due to the massive power grid expansion across the country. Many countries are benefitting by replicating the SHS model. The government set renewable energy targets could not be achieved earlier.

However, the government has taken a multi-faceted initiative to increase the contribution of RE to the energy mix. The contribution of hydro, rooftop solar, grid solar, and wind power together is now around 1,000MW out of the total grid-connected capacity of 27,054MW.

Environmentalists and civil society are not yet satisfied though. At COP26, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced her vision for a 40% contribution of renewables to the energy mix by 2041. The Power Division mentioned the vision in the IPEMP 2023. Wind, solar, hydro, and nuclear electricity, and cross-border clean energy trading have been included in the plan. Power generation from green hydrogen and ammonia are also taken into consideration. The government claims that it is working on the target.