+44 330 818 7254Saral Islam*, Ijaj Mahamud Ismi
Extreme weather events, such as storm surges and rising sea levels, will exacerbate floods in Bangladesh in the future. More severe weather is on the way, as shown by the recent heat waves and floods. The nation intends to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 15% from a Business as Usual (BAU) level by 2030 in an effort to fix the problem. However, there is still room for improvement in the shift to renewable energy. The recent global energy crisis has the potential to hasten the adoption of renewable energy sources, which now appear to be the sole viable option.
In Bangladesh, the amount of energy produced by renewable sources is rather low. In 1990, renewable energy accounted for 11.4% of power generation; in 2015, that number dropped to 1.2%, according to the World Bank research. Every year, a less and smaller percentage of the nation's electricity comes from renewable sources. In Bangladesh, renewable energy sources such as solar, biogas, wind and hydroelectric electricity are now the most common. Only one power plant in the nation, the Karnaphuli hydro power station, generates 230 MW of electricity.
The majority of wind power comes from areas close to or even offshore the coast, where the wind is always blowing. For example, there are two regions in the nation that have 2MW of operational wind turbines that generate electricity: Feni and Kutubdia. At Parky Beach, there are wind turbines that are being developed to produce an additional 50-200 MW. It is also possible to build 30 GW of wind power, both on land and at sea, within the country. As part of sustainable waste management, the nation has access to additional renewable energy sources, one of which is biogas, which is mostly produced from animal and municipal waste but shows promise. Another promising option is sunshine. Based on projections made by SREDA, the nation has the potential to generate 30 GW of solar power by the year 2041.
Consequently, the nation's renewable energy industry may represent an energy sector with promise. The World Bank ranks Bangladesh as one of the top 20 fastest-growing countries, which means that energy consumption will have to rise. Of the total energy supply, 55% comes from domestic natural gas, 27% from biomass and trash in pastoral regions and 15% from imported oil. In the year 2022, the nation's primary energy sources are biofuels, natural gas and other fossil fuels. Russia-Ukraine war has intensified the present shortage and inadequate supply of usable fossil fuel energy, leading to the hunt for new and improved energy sources.
Share this article