Canadian tie can help boost green energy

Masud Rahman, president of Canada Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, speaks at a meeting on Renewable Energy Prospects in Bangladesh in Dhaka yesterday. Robert McDougall, Canadian high commissioner, is also seen. CBCCIStar Business Report

Canadian High Commissioner Robert McDougall yesterday identified areas in the field of renewable energy, including solar power, which will benefit both the countries if they work together.

Canada has long been working with different sources of renewable energy, where there are "opportunities for mutual benefit" for both countries, said the high commissioner at a seminar in Dhaka.

The Canada Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry organised the seminar styled Renewable Energy Prospects in Bangladesh.

McDougall said Canada, with a low-carbon electricity generation portfolio, is blessed with sources of renewable energy, such as hydro electricity, biomass, wind, sunlight and waste.

In this regard, he found potential for both countries to work together in small hydro applications for rivers, small wind turbine generations, tidal-wave and tidal energy resource assessment, and solar energy equipment.

He also congratulated the Bangladeshi government for withdrawing duties on solar energy equipment.

Citing expert estimates, chamber President Masud Rahman said Bangladesh has a vast potential in renewable resources, which can produce 11,000 megawatt of electricity, including 10,000 MW from solar energy and 350 MW each from wind and biomass.

He also sought Canadian help in this regard.

"We can also save at least 1,000 MW of power by using energy saving appliances."

Bangladesh has to increase electricity generation from renewable resources by 2-3 percent a year as a signatory of Kyoto Protocol, he said, urging the government to intensify renewable energy generation efforts.

Presenting a keynote, Munawar Musbah Moin, managing director of Rahimafrooz Renewable Energy Ltd, said the total output of green energy sources of the country is 25 MW, which is less than one percent of around 3,700 MW power generated now.

In India, renewable energy contributes 5 percent to the total power, while Nepal and Bhutan 6 percent.

Dipal C Barua, managing director of Grameen Shakti, said his organisation dreams of empowering 75 million people in the country with renewable energy by 2015.

He also stressed implementation and further development of the Renewable Energy Policy to achieve the goal.