Fuel shortage
Having no liquid fuel, Bangladesh has to import it of necessity. Finite natural gas (methane) reserves are getting reduced day by day. Meanwhile, proven and possible resources of methane, remain unexplored even today! Coal is there, but we do not extract it, except from one mine-- for so many reasons (or excuses)! In the case of extraction of coal, we ideally define the saying: "Poverty in the land of plenty"! We are shying away from it, be it by shaft or surface mining, while the debate on the subject has continued on and on!
Coming to renewable sources, we have explored solar and wind power in a very limited scale, possibly due to the very high investment cost per MW of power produced. Nevertheless; these two sources of power need to have further investment, preferably in the private sector. This may be encouraged by government measures to provide capital at favourable borrowing terms, and reduced duty and taxes to encourage investment. The per unit investment cost for power here is naturally high. However, except for minor maintenance charges, and manpower costs, the operating cost throughout the life of the project is zero, as no fuel, the largest slice of operating cost, is necessary!
This option, is an attractive long-term alternative for power; when compared to the high costs of rental power plants. It would be prudent to provide local capital for investment than subsidising the high operational costs of these uneconomic power plants for a number of years. Would it not be more attractive if the government in partnership with private investors, takes up say 35 to 40 percent of the investment capital cost, and suitable government lands for setting up solar and wind power plants? This matter needs to be seriously considered by our government as the best way to generate pollution free power!
Another very potential source of methane has never been considered for exploitation and development! The vast potential of recovering methane from 'human waste' has remained totally unutilised! Unfortunately, this writer has vested time and effort to present this idea, but no one seems to listen!
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