Solar energy option
Photo: Azizur Rahim Peu / Driknews
The reality is that at present there is acute scarcity of gas. On an average, around 500MW of power cannot be generated due to lack of supply of gas every day. Petro Bangla has requested BPDB not to construct any more gas based power plants. Before 2013 Petro Bangla cannot commit gas supply to any new power station. It may so happen that gas may not be available at all for power generation after 2015 as per newspaper reports. Coal is stuck up in the question of 'open cut' or 'bore cut'. The national coal policy could not yet be finalized due to this tangle. In Barapukuria 2x125MW capacity steam power stations are now run by Barapukuria coal. Another 1x125MW steam power station is supposed to be built in the same premises with the available Barapukuria coal but it is still uncertain as to when it will come up. The situation of hydro power in the country is bleak. The only hydro power station in Kaptai (capacity 230 MW) is generating 80-100MW due to low water level in the Karnafuli river catchments area. The river basin is already filled up by silt which requires dredging. Moreover, upstream water flow has been reduced due to reduced rainfall, obstacles in the upstream like dams etc. Record shows that during the last 5-6 years with some exception the water level in the Karnafuli river basin was about 8-10ft below the rule curve throughout the year resulting in less power generation. The nuclear power option is very much complicated comprising many questions like technology, expertise, uranium fuel availability, hazardous waste disposal ,environment hazard, cost, IAEA's clearance etc. We should start it immediately but we have to go a long way to derive the fruits. For wind energy, as it appears from various studies, the cut off speed of wind should be more than 3m/sec which is seldom available continuously throughout the year, even throughout the day. 4x250KW wind power turbines installed in Muhurir char Feni as a pilot project did not prove to be very much viable. Some more wind turbines-- 20x50KW-- have recently been installed in Kutubdia, the result of which is still under examination for future guidance. Then what option is available for us for power generation? The answer is solar energy. It is the general understanding that solar home systems are particularly suitable for those areas which have no access to conventional electricity. This understanding needs to be changed and it should be encouraged, installed and expanded in the urban areas too i.e. all over the country. Thus, in the long run a remarkable amount of conventional electricity can be saved and transferred to electricity starved areas and load shedding can be avoided. We should arrange for conventional power by whatever means possible and at the same time we should go strong with solar energy.
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