The supply of gas, the country’s major primary energy, would stand at one-third of the country’s demand of around 6,000 mmcfd in 2030.
The supply is estimated to be around 2,000 mmcfd from the existing supply of around 2,600 mmcfd as production at the existing fields would deteriorate fast starting from 2018.
The sorry-state of the energy supply emerged from the closing ceremony of a two-day workshop on leadership in the country’s power and energy sector at Bidyut Bhaban of the capital yesterday.
Organised by the Power Division under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, the workshop focused on improving leadership skills in the sector to ensure energy security.
As a result, gas supply to power sector would fall substantially to only 800 mmcfd by then, gradually declining to 1,400 mmcfd in 2018 and 1,200 mmcfd in 2021. Presently, around 1,000 mmcfd of gas is being supplied to the power stations.
The sector leaders put forward sets of recommendations and proposals at the workshop to address the emerging energy situation. They proposed to implement the recommendations by 2018, 2021 and 2030.
The workshop was told that the energy shortage would be met by importing electricity, LNG and coal, developing local coal and expanding renewable energy under short-, medium- and long-term plan.
Petrobangla Director Jameel Ahmed Aleem said the country now produces 2,600 mmcfd of gas against the demand of around 3,000 mmcfd. By the year 2030 the production would come down to 2,000 mmcfd while its demand will reach three times than the existing production.
He said Petrobangla would be able to produce 3,429 mmcfd of gas by 2018 while 3,200 mmcfd by 2021, but the production would be reduced to 2,000 mmcfd by 2030.
All the leaders of power and energy sector along with officials of different ministries took part at the workshop.
Finance Division Joint Secretary Md Jalal Uddin said at least $122bn would be required for all the projects already taken so far in the sector and for the upcoming ones till the year of 2030. Of the amount, $64bn will be required for power sector and rest of the amount for energy sector.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said the country needs to increase the electricity generation in the private sector. He was replying to a question of a speaker, who stressed the need for keeping the electricity generation in private sector below 50%.
Nasrul stressed on taking initiative to add electricity to the national grid from the captive power, which means a power plant set up by any person primarily for his or her own use.
He said the private sector has to be assisted to develop their capacity as the government in future would only formulate policy and do regulation while the private sectors would provide all kinds of services.
He also urged the sector leaders to brand the country as well as the sector so the world could know Bangladesh’s potentiality.
Nasrul said many countries do not know that Bangladesh has huge natural resources and potentiality, which is also moving ahead with 6.5% GDP growth.
Emphasising on the cross boarder power transmission, Nasrul said in future Bangladesh would import 6,000-7,000MW of electricity from Nepal and Bhutan as power production in those countries are less costlier.
The workshop also created a platform to develop further communication and understating among the officials of power and energy sector by bringing themselves together.
Nasrul said middle income status of Bangladesh by 2021 depends on the quick development of power and energy sector.
“When we will become a middle-income country, per head power consumption would be 600kWh and the sector would be responsible for the 2% of the total GDP,” he said.
