Bangladesh needs to revise solar power policy to address land crisis: Hasan Mahmud

Bangladesh needs to revise its solar power plant policy to address the land crisis effectively, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said today (22 May).

"Bangladesh is a densely populated country with a significant land shortage. Given this constraint, using three acres of land to generate one megawatt of solar power is extravagant. With modern technology and increased energy efficiency, we can now install one megawatt of solar power on just 1.6 acres," he said at the opening ceremony of the 24th National Renewable Energy Conference and Green Expo-2024.

At the two-day programme organised by the Institute of Energy of Dhaka University and the Greentech Foundation at the Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building, the minister said Bangladesh has taken initiatives to generate renewable energy using solar, wind, waste, and nuclear power.

"Although it is not our responsibility to reduce carbon emissions, we have taken initiatives. If development partners provide assistance, the country will be able to pursue more ambitious plans in this regard," he said.

The minister further said, "We will bring electricity from Nepal via India. BRTC is considering introducing hydrogen-powered buses."

Among others, government officials, academics, energy experts, and stakeholders were present at the event.

Dhaka University Vice Chancellor ASM Maksud Kamal said, "Fifty-two countries, including Bangladesh, are victims of carbon emissions, but these countries are not responsible for it. The countries responsible have not fulfilled a single promise. Renewable energy is very important to reduce global warming."

Akhter Hossain, chief coordinator of SDGs at the Prime Minister's Office, said, "Bangladesh has done very well in achieving the SDGs. It is far ahead of India and Pakistan in the ranking. Bangladesh is ranked 101st, and India is ranked 112th. Bangladesh has already cancelled 10 coal-based power plants as part of its transition to renewable energy."

Munira Sultana, chairman of the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority, said, "There is a shortage of land for solar power. We are now focusing on onshore wind power. Offshore surveys are ongoing, and action will be taken based on the findings."

Alamgir Morshed, CEO of the Infrastructure Development Company Limited, said achieving the 2041 target for renewable energy will require an investment of $26.5 billion. "The technology is available; now funding is needed. It is important to create a model for connecting insurance companies with the stock market."

Khondkar Morshed Millat, advisor of the GreenTech Foundation, highlighted in the keynote presentation that excluding the year 2021, the rate of green financing has increased over the last five years.

He said, "However, renewable energy should be prioritised. We should introduce a semester at the university level so that those employed can acquire knowledge."

"We import solar panels and inverters for solar power, facing challenges related to taxation here," he added.

SM Nasif Shams, associate professor & director of the Institute of Energy at Dhaka University, GreenTech Foundation Executive Director Lutfur Rahman, and Nurul Aktar, president of the Bangladesh Solar Renewable Energy Association, also spoke at the event.