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Energy experts at a webinar have opined that the government should not implement Matarbari LNG and LPG terminals without any feasibility study.
They also said that future masterplan on the power and energy sector should be prepared on a coordinated basis as the development of the power sector always depends on that of the energy sector.
They came up with the opinion while at a webinar titled "EP Talks on Future Challenges and Fuel Mix in Power Generation and Way Forward" on Saturday evening, reports UNB.
The virtual seminar was also addressed by Power Division's additional secretary Nurul Alam, former chairman of Petrobangla and Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) Muktadir Ali, former Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) chairman Syed Abdul Mayeed, Alamgir Kabir and Khaled Mahmud, expatriate energy expert Firoz Kabir.
Khandaker Abdus Saleq Sufi made a presentation on the topic of the seminar while Energy & Power editor Mollah Amzad Hossain conducted the event.
The speakers said the under-construction Matarbari deep sea port will play a vital role in the country's energy and power sector's development.
They mentioned that the country's maiden deep sea port will have three separate terminals for handling imported coal, LNG (liquified natural gas) and LPG (liquefied petroleum gas).
"But unfortunately there is a move by the government to implement the LPG terminal without any proper survey and feasibility study," said Mollah Amzad Hossain.
Additional secretary of the Power Division Nurul Alam said any LPG or LNG Terminal in Matarbari deep sea port should be implemented on the basis of proper feasibility study.
"Otherwise, projects may face different troubles in future", he added.
M Muktadir Ali said a discussion is going on that the government would cancel a number of coal-based power plants and instead LNG-based power plants will be implemented to meet their generation gaps.
"But decisions should be based on proper study as the price of coal is more stable in the global market that of LNG", he added.
Alamgir Kabir said the power sector has now over 50 per cent reserve margins. "But 25 per cent reserve margin in power generation is good enough in any country in the world".
Syed Abdul Mayeed said the government should give more focus on gas exploration rather than gas import.