Coal-fired plants to resolve power crisis

Participants are seen at a roundtable on 'Power Sector: Problems and Prospects' jointly organised by the Buet Alumni Association and the daily Prothom Alo in Dhaka yesterday.Photo: STAR

Energy experts said yesterday the government should immediately establish coal-fired power plants, even if it means that coal has to be imported, as it would take some time to extract local coal reserves to solve the power crisis in Dhaka.
The experts spoke at a roundtable, organised by the Buet Alumni Association (BUETAA) and the daily Prothom Alo. They also suggested an increase in energy generation from different sources, such as renewable, biomass, hydro and installing nuclear power plants to solve the crisis.
The speakers also urged authorities to raise the selling price of power, saying that instead of giving subsidy to the 40 per cent people under the power net, the government should subsidise the poor and those farmers who irrigate farmlands with high priced diesel and do not have access to electricity.
“The government might not install gas based power plants in the near future and as setting up nuclear power plants is political, the government should use the coal reserves of the country to solve the power crisis," said Faisal Mobin Chowdhury, chairman of Pendekal Energy.
He also informed the function that the price of power plant equipment has increased significantly in the global market in the last few years. And as massive power plants are being set up in the Middle East and a limited number of companies are involved in producing power plant equipment, it would take four years from the onset of construction to set up a power plant.
To solve the power crisis, the government has to install coal-run power plants and if it takes time to use local coal reserves or if locally extracted coal becomes costlier, authorities should import coal from other countries, said Matin Patwari, former vice chancellor of Buet.
“In case of power reserves we have to keep all options open and we should not be indecisive," said Patwari, presently the vice chancellor of the University of Asia Pacific.
Prof Shahidul Islam Khan, director of Centre for Energy Studies at Buet, said the shortage of gas decreased power generation of the country from 650 to 700-mega watt.
Additionally, according to the Power Development Board (PDB) statistics on August 17, total power production of the country was 3,411 MW, while demand stood at 4,350 MW and load shedding was 803 MW at the time. Around 1,400 MW of power is produced through captive generation, he said.
The domestic demand for electricity will stand at 9,000 MW in 2015 and 14,000 MW in 2021, he told the function, adding that nuclear energy may be the only option to solve the power crisis.
Speaking at the function, Professor M Tamim, special assistant to the chief adviser on power and energy, said political instability and non-continuity of plans were the main causes of the present power scenario.
He also felt the need for big financiers to invest in the power projects, which involves huge amount of money.
Terming the present per unit selling price of power as low, Tamim said though it is the obligation of the government to provide power to the citizens, they should not subsidise power for households to run air conditioners for the purposes of luxury.
Brigadier General (retd) M A Malek, special assistant to the chief adviser for social welfare and post and telecommunications ministries, suggested a reduction in duties and subsidy in the energy saving lamps in an attempt to save power.
Power Secretary Faizul Kabir Khan said during the tenure of the present caretaker government, a total of 250 MW power was added to the national grid and another 1,000 MW would be added by next January.
Annisul Huq, president of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) said instead of long talks what the businessmen need is power.
Criticising the bureaucrats, he said, “After retirement bureaucrats give long speeches but most of them have done nothing when they were in office”.
Moderated by Serajul Majid Mamoon, vice president of BUETAA, Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman, its deputy editor Anisul Hoque, Executive Director of SUMMIT Tariqur Rashid, former PDB chairman Khijir Khan, Grameen Energy Managing Director Dipal C Barua, among other power experts and former government officials of the power sector, participated in the function.