Mujib Barsho, with a Vow to Photography Bulbul Ahmed Working on Ensuring Sustainable Energy Supply During the Year
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Editor Fortnightly Magazine, Vol 17, Issue 18, March 1-15 Mollah M Amzad Hossain Advisory Editor Anwarul Islam Tarek Mortuza Ahmad Faruque Saiful Amin International Editor Dr. Nafis Ahmed Contributing Editors Saleque Sufi Online Editor GSM Shamsuzzoha (Nasim) Managing Editor Afroza Hossain The government has achieved a significant success in power generation during Magazine Administrator the last 11 years. However, it came through expensive options. The average bulk AKM Shamsul Hoque power supply cost increased to Tk 5.67 per unit now from Tk 2.50 per unit in Reporters Arunima Hossain 2008. It resulted in frequent hikes in power tariff. In a latest move, it has increased Jannatul Ferdushy Sova the average retail power tariff to Tk 7.13 per unit with effect from March 1, 2020 Assistant Online Editor from Tk 3.81 in 2009. The gas price has also been increased for several times. But Aditya Hossain the consumers as a whole are bearing the brunt of the price hike. Design & Graphics Md. Monirul Islam The energy and power sector is going to observe the Mujib Barsho, with a vow to Photography Bulbul Ahmed working on ensuring sustainable energy supply during the year. However, if the Production price hike trend of last 11 years continues, the energy would not remain Mufazzal Hossain Joy affordable for the consumers. Ensuring energy at affordable price would remain Computer Graphics elusive unless the country could explore the own energy resources. The Mujib Md. Uzzal Hossain Barsho is expected to be a year of taking the right path to increase the supply of Circulation Assistant own primary energy that would contribute to the sustainable development of the Khokan Chandra Das Editorial, News & Commercial country. Room 509, Eastern Trade Center Masuk Helal draws the two sketches of Bangabandhu used in the cover & cover 56 Inner Circular Road (VIP Road) Naya Paltan. GPO Box : 677 inner Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh Tel & Fax : 88-02-58314532 Email: [email protected] [email protected] Website: www.ep-bd.com Price Bangladesh: Tk 50, SAARC: US$ 6, Asia: US$ 8, Europe: US$ 10, North America, Africa & Australia: US$ 14 41 27 9 For arresting the alarmingly ris- A panic that has been spreading Since announcing the election manifesto ing trend of power and energy over the world has sent a chill by Awami League ahead of the general prices, the country must initiate throughout the global economy. election in 2008, the people of Bangladesh actions for ensuring assured The virus now has created a lot started expecting that the nagging energy supply of own fuel through of noise beyond China, and crisis might go and they would get the en- commencing mining of own could be much more damaging ergy at an affordable price. The political coal and expediting petroleum for the economy that might be party assumed office and after a while the exploration in this “Mujib unthinkable at this point. energy supply situation started improving. Barsho”. Any failure to ensure The reality is that China is an in- It formed the government for two next smooth supply of own primary dispensable part of global trade terms with similar commitment. The energy fuel will not only affect the and business for most countries supply situation continued to improve. country’s energy security, it will including Bangladesh churning Though there is room for further improve- also make uncertain the ... out products like iPhone... ment, the electricity supply has by now... Encouraged by the readers and patrons, the EP would continue bringing out Green Pages to contribute to the country’s efforts in its journey towards environment-friendly energy. 31 Bangladesh Appeals for More Partners to Help RollOut OffGrid Solar 33 IDCOL Extends Financing to Fakhruddin Textile for Rooftop Solar Project 33 Green Groups Call for Steps to Save Sundarbans 34 Solar Power Plant Projects Likely to be Delayed Due to Virus Outbreak 5 WORLD WATCH 24 Significant Progress in Latest Development in Manufacture of Passive Core World Flooding System for RNPP 6,8 SNAPSHOT 25 Raise Power Consumption to Latest Development 1,000 Kwh 9 COVER WORLD Daring Dream 27 Coronavirus: An Avalanche for Year of Taking the Right Path Global Economy & Risks for Bangladesh COVER ARTICLE 15 Looking Afresh in ARTICLE ‘MujibBarsho’ 29 Unabated Blowout Crater Natural Gas Release: A SPECIAL ARTICLE Potential Source Of Gas 17 Curses of Having Plenty CLIMATE REPORT 37 Climate Change a Big 18 Wärtsilä Gas Power Plant to Challenge for All: Minister Facilitate Growth of 38 Scientists Gather to Study Bangladeshi Industrial Risk from Microplastic Complex Pollution 19 BIMSTEC to Promote 39 Air Pollution Costs $2.9 Regional Electricity Grid Trillion A Year 21 Will Light Up Every House by 40 Antarctica Registers Record Mujib Barsho: PM Temperature of Over 20C 22 USNorwegian JV to Launch INTERVIEW Offshore Survey This Year 41 Md. MaqbulEElahi Chowdhury 23 Govt Plans Power Tariff Cut Member, Bangladesh Energy for Industrial Units Regulatory Commission Worldwatch PTTEP’s World PTTEP Working with Chevron focus this WEC Secretary General Meets Energy on Erawan Field Transition year will Saudi Energy Minister Coun- be on cil Sec- preparing newly acquired projects offshore Thailand, notably retary General and CEO Dr Angela Wilkinson met with Saudi the G1/61 concession containing the Erawan field and G2/61 Arabian Energy Minister HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman (Bongkot), to be ready to deliver petroleum as stipulated in Al Saud in the Saudi capital Riyadh on 19 February. the profit-sharing contracts. During the meeting, Dr Wilkinson thanked Prince Abdulaziz Work will include planning the drilling campaign, construc- for his continued support of the World Energy Council and his tion of new production platforms and gas pipelines, and other personal efforts over the years as Chairman of the World En- related activities. ergy Council’s Saudi Arabian Member Committee. For the Erawan field transition in 2022, PTTEP is working with Dr Wilkinson, who is on her first official visit to Saudi Arabia, current concessionaire Chevron and Thailand’s Department presented her vision and strategy for the Council in the years of Mineral Fuels to ensure continuity of operations. ahead. Elsewhere PTTEP plans to step up exploration activities in She outlined her agenda on humanizing the energy transition promising offshore areas including the Myanmar MD-7 proj- and invited support for the Council’s broad program of work ect and the Lang Lebah-1RDR2 exploration well in Malaysia’s and addressing the broad social agenda, including energy Sarawak block SK410B, where the company made the biggest poverty. gas discovery in its She called for alignment of efforts across regions to enable history. new opportunities to include clean hydrogen and the circular Also on the agenda carbon economy. are nearby explo- ration projects in Malaysia where PTTEP will seek op- portunities for clus- ter developments. Indian India Refiners Getting Rare Oil refin- Cheap as China Demand Slows ing com- panies are snapping up rare crude grades as the coronavirus outbreak curtails China's demand for processing, executives and traders said, with prices for some grades falling by as much as 15 per cent. Power sec- Power Sector Attracts Over tor attracted Chinese refiners have slashed output by at least 1.5 million bar- over 1 bil- rels a day in February, or over 10 percent, after the virus out- $1b Foreign Investment in lion U.S. break hit domestic fuel demand, leading to swelling stocks. Myanmar dollars of "Opportunity for Indian markets is more in the context of what investment is happening in China and in recent times we received crudes capital from six permitted foreign enterprises in first four which are appearing to be attractive as compared to their value months of current fiscal year (FY) 2019-2020 which started in earlier," said R. Ramachandran, head of refineries at Bharat Pe- October, according to figures released by Myanmar's Direc- troleum Corp. torate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA). Refiners in India, the world's third-biggest oil importer, rarely As of Jan. 31, Myanmar's power sector topped the list with get the opportunity to buy suitable grades from areas like the most investment capital, followed by real estate and manu- Mediterranean and Latin America due to higher freight rates. facturing sectors. However, shipping From FY 1988-1989 to Jan. 31 of FY 2019-2020, 26.4 percent rates have plunged by of foreign investment flowed into the country's power sector nearly half since the with capital of over 22.2 billion U.S. dollars, the DICA's fig- virus outbreak, and ures said. after the U.S. partially lifted sanctions on Meanwhile, Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) allowed part of Chinese ship- 106 enterprises with a total of 2.08 billion U.S. dollars of in- ping firm COSCO. vestment capital as of Jan. 31 of present FY 2019-2020. March 1, 2020 5 Snapshot The government Power Sector Received provided Tk Engr Belayet New Tk 52,260cr as Subsidy in 52,260 crore as BPDB Chairman subsidy to 10 Years: Nasrul power sector in Engineer Md. Belayet Hossain the last 10 has been appointed as chair- years, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources man of Bangladesh Power De- Nasrul Hamid told parliament recently. velopment Board (BPDB). The minister said this in reply to a query from Awami League He will assume responsibility MP Didarul Alam from Chattogram-4. as the 36th chief of BPDB re- placing chairman Sayeed Nasrul said the average cost of generating per unit of electric- Ahmed, according to a notifi- ity for both public and private sectors is Tk 13-14 (furnace oil cation of Power Division.