Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday assured support for a technology that could turn waste into fuel oil and help reduce Bangladesh’s dependence on imported energy.

He gave the assurance as a team of researchers led by Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) Professor Dr Md Khalequzzaman briefed him on the technology at his office in Tejgaon, said a release issued by the PM’s Press Wing.

The technology uses a process known as hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) to convert human waste, waste from sewage treatment plants, kitchen waste and agricultural residues into fuel oil.

The researchers said they have been working on the technology for around 10 years and have achieved a 50–55 percent biocrude yield in laboratory tests. They have also made progress in producing biocrude with a high diesel content.

The next step is to set up a pilot plant capable of processing one to three tonnes of waste daily to assess the technology’s efficiency, production costs and commercial viability.The estimated cost of the pilot project is Tk 100–120 crore.

According to the researchers, the technology, if developed for commercial-scale production, could replace around 10–15 percent of imported crude oil and save foreign currency equivalent to Tk 6,500–13,000 crore annually.

However, the estimates would need to be validated through large-scale technical and economic assessments, they said.

The researchers said the technology could also help reduce environmental pollution, improve waste management and create opportunities for developing a domestic fuel industry.

The Prime Minister assured them of the government’s necessary cooperation in advancing the initiative.

Power and Energy Minister Iqbal Mahmood Tuku, State Minister Anindya Islam Amit, University Grants Commission member Professor Abdullah Al Mamun, KUET Vice-Chancellor Professor Mohammad Masud and Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation Chairman Dr Mohammad Rafiqul Islam were present at the briefing.