Situation unlikely to improve until mid-July

Summit LNG terminal, damaged by Cyclone Remal, has left Singapore after repairs and is expected to arrive in Bangladesh on 13 July, with full operations resuming by 17 July, according to Petrobangla sources.

The market of hybrid solar air conditioner is growing globally. As the world turns hotter, the demand for air conditioners has also gone up in Bangladesh along with other tropical countries. With the constant revision of power prices (upward) in the country, electricity bills have become a major headache for most people. There is a desperate need for a more affordable solution to energy consumption at not just household, but also commercial and industrial level. Rooftop solar panels are increasingly becoming visible at factory-level, but there is great potential for expanding that idea to all urban centres where a sizeable portion of the working population lives.

As a Chinese old saying goes, "Teaching people to fish," The Payra power plant has provided approximately 8,400 jobs and nearly 6,300 vocational skills training opportunities to local residents, becoming a well-deserved talent cultivation base in the area.

There is no denying that maintaining Bangladesh's macroeconomic stability and achieving its development goals requires consistent and uninterrupted energy supply. Bangladesh's energy landscape is predominantly shaped by fossil fuels, with natural gas including Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), coal, and oil accounting for over 98 per cent of the nation's electricity generation. Despite efforts to diversify the energy mix, renewable sources such as hydro, solar, and wind contribute only marginally to the overall power generation. However, the high dependency on imported fossil fuels leaves Bangladesh vulnerable to fluctuations in global energy prices, which can have far-reaching implications for the country's macroeconomic stability and developmental aspirations.

We are marred with short-term firefighting all the time but sustainable security requires mid- and long-term parallel preparation

The government has sought a $1.38 billion loan from China to build a 295km gas pipeline in Cox's Bazar's Maheshkhali for transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) to ensure energy security, according to sources within the Economic Relations Division (ERD).

State minister for power, energy and mineral resources Nasrul Hamid on Thursday assured that the power supply situation in Bangladesh was expected to improve within the next three to four days, with uninterrupted gas supply anticipated by mid-July.

Prior to the import of renewable energy from India, an agreement is in the works to bring 40MW electricity from Nepal this month, he said, adding that there are also initiatives to import electricity from Bhutan

The government has taken a plan to generate electricity from hydrogen and ammonia alongside the production of solar and wind power in the country, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today told the parliament.

'100 projects on the pipeline to reduce dependency on natural fuel'
Nuclear, Solar and wind will replace natural and fossil fuels to generate electricity, says PM

We are marred with short-term firefighting all the time but sustainable security requires mid- and long-term parallel preparation

Speakers during a webinar underscored the necessity for a policy guideline with an eye to integrating the entire energy sector.

When deciding where to source clothing from, an increasingly important factor will be energy use as fashion brands and retailers look to reduce carbon emissions in supply chains.

Given the ambitious goals that Bangladesh has set for itself in the coming decades, one key area where we absolutely cannot afford to flounder is power generation, particularly becoming self-reliant in meeting our national energy needs.