Power generation master plan
This is about your Star Business Report of 15th. July on the Round Table organised by the 'Energy & Power' magazine on its seventh anniversary. The main topic of discussion, was based on the government's recently published five year master plan on additional sources of power generation between the years 2010 to 2015. The key note paper however, presented a total generation in five years; of 9426 MW of power, from traditional energy sources which are natural gas, liquid fuel (diesel &furnace oil) and coal only. Three important major issues on this matter, which are critical for the power sector in Bangladesh connotation, were unfortunately not covered in the keynote paper presented. These are: a) Nuclear Energy b) Alternative and Renewable Energy and finally c) Energy Efficiency.
During discussions on the keynote paper, the undersigned raised the issue of nuclear power plants, which in the government's plan represented 2100MW of power; through the usual U-236 fuelled power source. However, it was surprising that most experts present were not aware of the fact that U-236 based nuclear power is a no-go for Bangladesh. It seems that we are all banking on the proposed agreement with Russia for setting up our first nuclear power plant; in spite of their horrific nuclear accident in Chernobyl which is known to all. There had been many more radiation related fatal accidents, both direct and through cooling water leakages, in the then USSR nuclear power plants. These were forcefully suppressed by the then totalitarian communist government of those days! I wonder how we are going ahead with the most unreliable and unsafe nuclear power plant makers in the world, given our dense population, critical water resources and our lack of common industrial discipline and safety attitudes!
For Bangladesh however the U-238 based nuclear power reactors, commonly known as "Pebble Bed' reactors, with no radiation hazard is the sure and safe method for having a number of nuclear power plants in Bangladesh.
Since these power plants are built up in modules of 10 to 20 MW, and are usually limited from 100 to 150 MW capacity per plant. These can be set up in our large cities like Chittagong, Sylhet, Rajshahi and Khulna, without any need of containment areas or other safety constraints of a U-236 power plants; where even the disposal of used nuclear fuel involves strict safety and protection regimes; which is not needed for disposing the spent pebbles of U-238 nuclear fuel! This is the sure and safest and environmentally very clean source of power generation; ideal for overcrowded Bangladesh!
This not only can save power from the grid, but it also reduce the cost of production, by decreasing power consumption substantially. To encourage this, the government should provide easy financing and duty free availability of retro-fit drive kits for industrial electric motors.
Can we afford to ignore this tremendous practical source of more power now available from our existing power grids by improving energy efficiency of our conventional electric devise with simple modification?
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