Adviser urges NRBs to help develop sustainable energy

Power and Energy Adviser Tapan Chowdhury speaks at a seminar on the second day of the first NRB conference in Dhaka yesterday.Photo: STAR

Power and Energy Adviser Tapan Chowdhury yesterday urged the Non-Resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) to contribute to the development of sustainable energy system in the country.
Stressing the importance of energy and power in national development, he said, "The NRBs can help the nation by extending their support in the field of power and energy."
"Our electricity covers only 43 percent of the total areas. Increased power generation is very much needed at this moment for national development, he said adding that time has come to create alternative power resources.
"Country's 87 percent energy is gas based and capacities for renewable energy like solar system and bio-gas needs to be increased as natural gas reserve is decreasing," he said while addressing a seminar as chief guest at the second day of the first NRB conference at Sheraton Hotel in the capital.
The NRBs can set up alternative power resources in the country and share their expertise by giving recommendations in developing renewable energy, the adviser said.
"The government encourages private sector to set up new plants for power generation, as it can not meet the total demand alone," he said.
He pointed out various problems in the power sector, especially in power generation, energy distribution and transmission.
The seminar styled 'The untapped Energy Mine: The Revolutionary Scope of Renewable Energy Technologies for Bangladesh & NRB's Role in Formulating Appropriate Energy Policies' was also addressed by Power Ministry Secretary Dr Faizul Kabir Khan and Power, Energy and Mineral Resource Division Secretary M Mohsin.
Solar System Expert Dr Sajed Kamal and Advanced Research Institute Director Prof Saifur Rahman presented separate keynote papers at the seminar.