BPDB urged to diversify biz

Energy sector stakeholders at a dialogue on Thursday underscored the need to diversify the business of the state-run Bangladesh Power Development Board, known as BPDB.

They said the BPDB could open separate cells for renewable energy and other areas of interest to private investors, which would help the board earn money and facilitate the energy transition.

"I had requested the BPDB to open a solar energy cell to diversify its business, but they did not pay heed," said Mohammad Alauddin, rector of the Bangladesh Power Management Institute.

The government needs to take a holistic view of the energy transition, he commented at a dialogue titled 'Energy Transition in Bangladesh: Employment and Skills', organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).

At the programme, energy expert Professor Ijaz Hossain said, "We are on the wrong track."

In his argument, Professor Hossain said Bangladesh already has excess electricity generation capacity, producing around 16,000 megawatts (MW) against a generation capacity of around 25,000 MW. Against the backdrop, adding renewable energy means further addition to electricity generation, he said.

This would augment the government's capacity payment burden to power plants, said Prof Hossain, a teacher at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).

Humayun Rashid, president of the International Business Forum of Bangladesh (IBFB), said the country will need knowledgeable people to face the challenges of the future energy transition. In the future, there will be unmanned operation of power plants, he said. "Cross-border electricity transmission will increase in the future when climate change will be a major challenge."

Shamim Reza, vice president of private power producer Orion Group, emphasised proper coordination between the government's power division and energy division to face future challenges. Khondaker Golam Moazzem, research director of CPD, delivered a keynote presentation at the event. He said the renewable energy sector will generate a significant number of new jobs in the years to come.

Around 8,919 new jobs would be created after the energy transition in 2030, he said.

The paper noted that the impact of the energy transition on employment, especially in the context of Bangladesh, is relatively unexplored, with a focus on environmental sustainability over job sector considerations.

Bangladesh is committed to sustainable energy development, aiming to generate 40 per cent of its power from renewable sources by 2030. Meeting renewable energy goals will require upgrading the country's human resource base, the paper maintained.

azizjst@yahoo.com