Prime Minister’s Energy Adviser Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury Sunday advised industrial entrepreneurs to consider using alternative fuel in view of the fact that gas might not be possible to supply in the near future due to its shortage.
“Supplying gas and coal as primary fuel for generating electricity is a big challenge now,” he told a discussion in Dhaka, without elaborating about the possible alternatives.
He, instead, invited energy sector experts to come up with suggestions about the possible alternatives.
The adviser made the remarks in response to suggestions energy experts put forward, including demand for increasing gas supply to industrial sector, at the roundtable titled “Primary Energy: A Big Challenge to Vision 2021.” Fortnightly magazine Energy & Power organised the meeting.
Other recommendations included extracting indigenous coal, using it as primary fuel for generating electricity instead of depending only on natural gas, and importing gas, coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Former State Minster for Energy Rafiqul Islam, special assistant to the chief adviser of former caretaker government M Tamim, Dr Ijaz Hossain and a professor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology took part in the discussion, moderated by Energy & Power Editor Mollah M Amzad Hossain.
Presenting the keynote paper, energy expert Khondkar Abdus Saleque said: “We can ensure efficient use of power and energy by adopting fuel efficient technologies in power, fertilizer and other industrial sectors.”
He stressed the need for mining own coal on top priority basis through adopting off-the-shelf proven mining method while urging the government to consider import of LNG and coal for long term energy security.
M Tamim said the major political parties have to mention in their election manifestos from where the primary fuel like gas and coal would come for generating electricity.
“We have to extract indigenous coal and use it as primary fuel for generating electricity,” he said, insisting that it would not be wise to depend only on gas to generate electricity.
