Renewable Energy Part 1
Adequate and uninterrupted supply of different forms of energy particularly electricity is essential for quality living as well as for the development of a country. Electricity is the most preferred form of energy. It is one of the indicators of development of a country, like, per capita GDP. Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh has issued its vision to bring the entire country under electricity service by the year 2030. Bangladesh is encountering difficulties in supplying energy to maintain its economic growth. Government of Bangladesh is looking for renewable energy sources to meet up the total power demand in this country. Fossil fuels are getting diminished day by day. The growth rate of industrialization in Bangladesh has slowed down due to shortage of energy supply. Bangladesh has good potential of solar, wind and biomass resources.
#Energy-Resources-in-Bangladesh
The installed electricity generation capacity is about 16,000 MW in 2017. About 62.6% electrical energy comes from natural gas followed by furnace oil 0.0%, HFO 20.5%, hydro 1.7% imported 4.8%,Hsd 8.5% .
Natural gas is most important indigenous source of energy that accounts majority of the commercial energy of the country. So far in Bangladesh 23 gas fields have been discovered and gas is produced from 17 gas fields.
Coal reserve of about 3.3 billion tons comprising 5 deposits at depth of 118-1158 meters have been discovered so far in the north - western part of the country out of which 4 deposits are extractable at present. But this sector is quite undeveloped. There is only one coal based power plant which produces around 3% of the total national electricity. Most of the demand is met by importing coal from neighboring countries but local production has been increased in the last five years. However coal power has adverse environmental effects and coal reserves are limited. The government has also focused on furnace-oil-based peaking power plants. As a result, the share of CO2 emissions coming from fossil-fuel-based power plants in the national CO2 inventory is expected to grow and there is a growing dependency on imported fossil fuels for power generation.
Neglecting the small amount of petroleum production within the country, all the petroleum demand is met by importing. The major usage of petroleum is in the transportation sector though the role of petroleum in this sector has been reduced through government launched policy to encourage compressed natural gas (CNG) as transportation fuel.
Bangladesh is facing daunting energy challenges: Security concerns over growing fuel imports, limited domestic energy resources for power generation, and projected demands for electricity that will continue to exceed domestic supply capabilities.
By acknowledging the potential of renewable energy resources, the country could possibly meet its unprecedented energy demand, thus increasing accessibility to electricity for all and enhancing energy security through their advancement. The integration of renewable energy technologies in the power sector through national energy planning would be, therefore, the right direction, not only for sustainable development of the country but also as the responsibility of Bangladesh toward the global common task of environmental protection.
#MAJOR-RENEWABLE-ENERGY-RESOURCES-IN-BANGLADESH
Being aware of the finite stock of fossil fuels and their negative impact on the environment, countries across the world are now leaning toward renewable energies like solar energy, wind energy, bio-energy, hydropower, geothermal and ocean energy in efforts to ensure energy security. The use of renewable energy has risen considerably in recent times, both in developed and in developing countries. More than hundred countries now have renewable energy including Bangladesh .
Keeping pace with the global trend, Bangladesh has also attached due importance to development of renewable energy. Development of renewable energy has been identified as one of the most important programs of Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and action plan. Renewable energy options are also included in the Bangladesh National Building Code.
The government has established Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. To strengthen international cooperation, Bangladesh became one of the initial members of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the only inter-governmental agency working exclusively on renewable energy. Those endeavors manifest Bangladesh's commitment towards development of renewable energy.
Bangladesh is a subtropical country, situated between 20.30 and 26.38 degrees north latitude and 88.04 and 92.44 degrees east which is an ideal location for solar energy utilization. 70% of year sunlight is dropped in Bangladesh. For this reason, solar panels can be used to produce electricity in large scale. Solar radiation varies from season to season in Bangladesh. Bangladesh receives an average daily solar radiation of 4-5.5 kWh/
Solar energy program in Bangladesh is one of the fastest growing renewable energy technologies. It has brought in positive changes in the livelihood of remote rural areas of Bangladesh by providing access to electricity. The Government of Bangladesh has been strongly supporting the solar agenda. The prime minister herself has installed a 21.6 kWp solar power system in her office. The government for a short time made it a mandatory provision for new apartment buildings and commercial complex to set up rooftop solar systems to get new power connections from the state-run power distribution agencies. However, the provision was later withdrawn. The new connection seekers now have to pay a certain amount of money to the Renewable Energy Fund, which would be used to establish renewable energy systems throughout different parts of Bangladesh.
The government has undertaken a number of major solar projects. Some of them are listed below:
• 650 kWp solar mini grid power plant at remote Haor area of Sullah upazila in Sunamgonj district under Climate Change Trust Fund (CCTF) on turnkey basis.
• The government has installed solar power plant on the rooftop of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics building in Dhaka. The plant has a generation capacity of 200
• 100 kWp solar mini grid in remote island of Sandwip.
• 8 MWp grid connected solar PV power plant at Kaptai Hydro power station, at Rangamati on turnkey basis.
• 30 MWp solar park project adjacent to new Dhorola Bridge, Kurigram on IPP basis.
• A 20 kWp plant on the rooftop of Bangladesh Bank's main building.
In Bangladesh, wind is available mainly during the Monsoon season. During the months starting from late October to middle of February, wind either remains calm or are too low to be of any use by a traditional windmill. Except for the above mentioned period of four months, a windmill if properly designed and located, can supply enough energy to be marketable. In Bangladesh, little systematic wind speed study has been made. Data collected by the meteorology department are usually meant for weather forecasting and are insufficient for determining wind energy potential wind speeds in the districts of Chittagong and Cox's Bazar were the only ones which showed promise. Extending the idea, only coastal area and the bay islands showed promise for possible electricity generation from wind.
#Availability-of-Biomass-in-Bangladesh
The common biomass resources available in Bangladesh are agricultural crop residues, wood residues, animal waste and municipal solid waste, etc. The resources can be utilized on a large scale for electricity generation.