Energy Advisor Dr. M. Fouzul Kabir Khan has said that the government is trying to renegotiate the tariffs charged for electricity by the power plant operators.

“We’re now discussing with the power plant operators how they can offer a lower tariff. We’re trying to understand why there is a big gap between their tariff rates,” he told a seminar at Bidyut Bhaban in the city on Saturday.

He said that the government will set a standard benchmark tariff on which basis each power plant can offer its tariff.

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“Initially, we will focus on coal-fired power plants in the private sector. Then we will see our public sector plants in this process,” he added.

Forum for Energy Reporters Bangladesh, jointly with Chevron Bangladesh, organised the seminar titled: “Energy Crisis: Way Forward” with FERB chairman Shamim Jahangir in the chair.

Eminent energy expert and former professor of BUET Dr. Ijaz Hossain made the keynote presentation while it was addressed by energy expert and vice president of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Prof. M. Shamsul Alam, research director of Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr. Khondaker Golam Moazzem, energy secretary Mohammad Saiful Islam, Petrobangla chairman Rezenur Rahman, and Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) chairman Md. Rezaul Karim.

Dr. Fouzul Kabir disagreed with the idea that if gas prices were hiked, it would discourage new investment in the industrial sector, saying that after the increase in gas prices, about 700 new applications were submitted by industry owners to supply gas.

He also said that the government has taken steps to keep load shedding at a minimum scale.

Dr. Hossain said that the current crisis in the power and energy sector has been a result of the previous government’s wrong policy and political favoritism.

He said that there had been no exploration of natural gas since 2010, and instead, the previous Awami League government promoted gas imports.

Dr. Moazzem said that the energy and power sector needs huge reforms to overcome its current crisis.

“The Energy Policy 2004 must be reviewed and updated,” he said, adding that the growth forecast in the energy sector also needs amendment to reduce dependence on imported gas.

Echoing the view, Dr. Shamsul Alam said the government should review the plan for LNG imports, as the industry will not be able to afford the highly expensive imported gas.

“It’s really impossible for industry to survive in paying per unit gas price at Tk 70,” he said.