Power sector faces seven challenges

The power sector faces seven challenges in the coming days, State Minister for Power Nasrul Hamid told the parliament yesterday.

The challenges are primary fuel, skilled manpower, service enhancement, reduction of corruption at field level, making renewable energy popular, implementation of projects in due time and ensuring investment.

The state minister talked about the issue while participating in a general discussion on the proposed budget for 2016-17 fiscal. He said the government had planned to set up four floating regasification units, and is going to set up three land-based LNG terminal to ensure primary fuel in the country.

Aiming to create skilled manpower, Nasrul said the government wanted to introduce a curriculum on power and energy. “This course is also absent at the university level, but we need enough electrical mining engineers.”

On the improvement of service and reducing corruption, Nasrul said the transmission and distribution payment gateway should be privatised, while distribution companies should be service-oriented.

He also opted for automation of all the systems through call centre supervisory control and data acquisition system.