POBNEWS24, Dhaka June 27, 2022 : The Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a private research institute, has advised the government to focus on domestic energy production by reducing its dependence on imported energy. During the discussion, energy experts said that despite the huge potential of gas in the country, there is no government initiative in exploration and extraction. As a result, fuel has to be imported from abroad at higher prices. As always, in the proposed fiscal year 2022-23, importance has been given to electricity, leaving behind the issue of gas production.
The country’s gas production has been gradually declining since 2016. They also said that if the production of gas in the country is reduced in this way, it could have a big impact on the production of electricity. This was stated by energy experts at a seminar on ‘Energy and Power Sector in the National Budget’ organized by the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) at a hotel in the capital on Sunday. CPD Research Director Khandaker Golam Moazzem presented the essay on the occasion. CPD Executive Director Fahmida Khatun was present at the ceremony. Tamim, Professor Shamsul Alam, Professor Badrul Imam, Director General of Power Cell Mohammad Hossain and President of Bangladesh Independent Power Producers Association Imran Karim.
During the discussion, the speakers further said that in order to solve the problem of power generation, the problem of primary fuel has to be solved first. Currently, 55 percent of the country’s total gas production comes from a gas field (Bibiana) in Chevron. If there is a problem in this gas field for any reason, most of the industries in the whole country will be shut down. The government needs to work on this issue now. Foreign companies should be called upon not just to search for gas through Bapex.
Golam Moazzem said the power and energy sectors were under pressure due to rising costs of importing fuel oil, LNG and coal. It is difficult to adjust the expenditure even after a significant increase in subsidies. The situation could get worse if no further action is taken.
Energy expert Badrul Imam said 100 per cent electrification is a great achievement of the present government. From a capacity of five thousand megawatts to a capacity of 25 thousand megawatts, it is really commendable. However, the government is far behind in the exploration and extraction of domestic gas. Our domestic gas is slowly declining. Gas production has been steadily increasing since before independence until 2015. It has been declining since 2016.
He said foreign companies have conducted surveys at different times and found a lot of gas in Bangladesh. According to a joint USGS survey with Petrobangla, 32 TCF of gas can still be extracted in Bangladesh. According to a Norwegian company, 32 TCF or 42 TCF of gas is still left. Another company recently said it has 40 TCF of gas. No one said Bangladesh is running out of gas; But there is talk that the country is running out of gas, we have to go the other way.
M. Tamim said that this year’s budget has also allocated more for power generation; But this time it was necessary to increase the allocation in the distribution and supply system. The budget also did not give importance to domestic gas production. The government has to solve the problem of primary energy first, then the problem of electricity.
Mohammad Hossain said, ‘In the absence of gas, we have to generate electricity with other fuels. If there were no oil-fired power plants, there would be a lot of load shedding. India has a good source of renewable energy, Bangladesh does not. We have kept all the doors open for renewable energy. ‘
Imran Karim said that there is a shortage of supply system, that is why load shedding is taking place. Our actual capacity in electricity is 16 thousand megawatts. 16 thousand megawatts is nothing. We need to have at least 20 percent more power generation capacity. ‘
