Fuel & power options
Your business report on the subject (Feb:20) stated that Prof. Tamim identified nuclear power, gas supply from Myanmar and power import from India, as logical possibilities to meet the power and fuel requirements of Bangladesh.
One wonders why he did not mention and identify the maximum utilisation of our coal resources as the most available option? Was he trying to avoid annoying the "intellectuals led" anti-mining group trying to prevent the use of our important resource and in the meanwhile stifle development of north-west Bangladesh? Logically, this should be of topmost priority for our government, which is the CTG today. They must take this up soon because "A bird in hand is worth two in the bush" which sums up our logical priority.
We should pragmatically go all out for the recovery and utilisation of our valuable coal, in whatever manner--be it deep shaft or open pit mining. This must go ahead; in spite of the "sound and fury" from our self proclaimed experts(?) on the technical subject. Our next resource in order of priority should be nuclear power; based on the total safety of the nuclear fuel and easy disposal of its waste for "Pebble Bed Nuclear Power plants. A number of these totally safe nuclear power plants are operating in South Africa and the design of this radical nuclear reactor is their invention. Unfortunately, it seems our "pundits" are not aware of it, although the information is just an Internet click away! Coupled with additional power and fuel source development; we MUST go all out for power conservation, not just power rationing (our non-technical approach), through using only fuel and power efficient equipment in the transport sector, industry and items of daily utility including even the simple and common mobile phone. There has been no study on the power requirement for this. However, just as a guess, though not wildly wrong, we may be consuming around 10 to 15 MWHr. power per day for charging all the mobile phones in use in Bangladesh. But do we know or seriously cared to know which brand and model of mobile phone consumes the least electricity for say 30 minutes of charging? This can be easily found out in any reasonable practical physics or electrical engineering facility in Bangladesh, of which many exist! That sums up our attitude regarding power shortage; " all talk and no action"! I am even willing to volunteer to work on this matter of mobile phones and common electrical utility items with any technical institution that wants to provide this important data, which can show us the route to power conservation.
We must not forget that every KW saved is the same as an additional KW produced!
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