Regional energy trade: This is how Bangladesh can achieve renewables target

Highlights

• Bangladesh took its renewable footprint to only 3.5% of total capacity by 2020, against the target of 10%
• Lack of adequate resources and proper planning was the key reason
• The country can now increase the share of green energy by either investing in neighbouring countries' renewable energy projects or just importing it
• India has capacity to generate 151GW renewable energy, while Nepal has up to 83GW of hydropower potential

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the COP26 conference last year declared her government's plan to generate 40% of electricity from renewable sources by 2041, when the country's generation capacity will reach 60 gigawatts.

Considering the current context of climate change caused by global warming and greenhouse gas emission effects, Sheikh Hasina's move is timely and bold, albeit there are multiple barriers to reaching the target.

According to the Power Sector Master Plan 2010's projection, Bangladesh was supposed to have 10% renewables in its total power generation capacity by 2020, but the country fell short of it by a big margin owing to a lack of adequate resources, proper planning and willingness of the project implementing agencies.

At the end of the targeted time, the country was able to take its renewable footprint to 3.50% of its total 22GW power generation capacity.

This time too, the country might not reach the ambitious target of adding 40% renewable energy to the country's total energy mix until some diversified work plan is chalked up.

Experts and Bangladesh energy sector stakeholders believe that cross-border energy trade will be a potential option to source renewables from neighbouring countries that have bigger prospects.

Neighbours rich in renewable energy potential

Neighbouring India, Bangladesh's true and tested friend, has huge opportunities to generate power from renewable sources, such as solar and hydro.

At present, India has renewable energy plants with the capacity to generate 151GW, which accounts for around 39% of its total power generation.

The country has set a target of expanding capacity to 500GW by 2030, says Invest India, the national investment promotion and facilitation agency.

According to the International Hydropower Association report, Bhutan, located on the eastern ridges of the Himalayas, has a potential of producing around 30GW of electricity, of which 23.7GW has been found economically feasible.

But as of now, the country has established facilities to generate 2.34GW of electricity, of which 99% come from renewable sources or hydropower plants.

On the other hand, Nepal, another country on the edge of the Himalayas, has up to 83GW of hydropower potential, while the country's present installed capacity is around 1.1GW, reports Power Engineering International.

Bangladesh lags behind in renewables

The tale of Bangladesh's renewable energy is quite different from those of its regional friends.

Bangladesh's power generation capacity is fully developed on fossil fuel, where gas and liquid fuel dominate the larger part of the facilities.

In the next decade, coal is going to take the dominant position in Bangladesh's power generation sector as large coal-fired plants are coming into operation and gas supply is depleting.

However, a study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) estimated that Bangladesh has 240GW of solar power generation potential, using 1.5% of the total available land.

Another estimate of NREL says that the country also has 30GW of wind potential.

The National Solar Energy Action Plan, on the other hand, estimated almost 40GW of renewable energy generation capacity in 2041.

Investing in off-grid renewables creates growth by connecting some of the 3.5 billion people who currently lack access to sufficient electricity. Photo: Reuters

But field-level data come up with varied information as the country's two wind power projects at Feni and Kutubdia have remained shut over technical difficulties.

As of now, Bangladesh could develop a capacity to generate 788MW of renewable energy, while the country's total power generation capacity is above 22GW (excluding captive power).

Of the total renewable capacity, solar energy accounts for 554.17MW while the single hydro facility is in the second position with 230MW generation capacity.

Renewable energy, more specifically solar energy capacity, has not been developed due to the country's land scarcity as the technology requires around three acres of land to set up a 1-megawatt electricity production facility.

Limited sunlight, lower wind speed, limited land, and lack of willingness on the part of the implementing agencies, are keeping Bangladesh back from achieving progress in renewable energy.

Regional energy trade may meet Bangladesh's renewable target

If the power sector progresses along current trends, the south Asian country will fuel the climate crisis by being itself vulnerable and a victim of calamity.

But if it wants to act as per its commitment to the UN Climate Vulnerable Forum that works for renewable energy-only economies by mid-century, to keep the global heating at or below 1.5 degrees Celsius, then it should increase renewable and green projects for power generation.

Bangladesh can increase the share of renewable and green energy in its total consumption by either investing in neighbouring countries' renewable energy projects to get electricity through cross-border lines or importing electricity without investing in generation projects.

Cross-border energy trade will help the country get cost-competitive electricity, reduce greenhouse gas emission and meet UN commitments as well.

[This article has been prepared as part of a BEI media fellowship with support of SARI/El Project Secretariat under IRADe and USAID.]