Power secretary Md Habibur Rahman has sought the leading global companies' collaboration with the Bangladesh power sector for its sustainable development. "Switching to hydrogen fuel for power generation in the future is one example, where global companies like GE, having tremendous experience in the field, can collaborate with us," he said while addressing a seminar titled: "Powering Smart Bangladesh" at a city hotel on Tuesday. American company GE (General Electric) hosted the seminar, which was also addressed by Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) chairman Mahbubur Rahman, and chief executive officer of GE Gas Power South Asia, Deepesh Nanda. The power secretary said Bangladesh will also welcome the tested technologies in the power and energy sector to reduce carbon emissions. Also Read: Bangladesh number one place to engage 3 big powers and play a bridging role: Prof Kanti Bajpai "We're keen to invest in technologies that are already tested and can help Bangladesh to reduce carbon emissions quickly", he said He noted that the government is prioritising the introduction of policy interventions that can support the development of clean energy infrastructure in Bangladesh and contribute towards economic growth of the country by effectively meeting the power demand in the future. The central theme of the seminar was leading a new era of clean energy by focusing on GE’s advanced gas turbine technology, which is capable of burning blends of hydrogen and natural gas, to lead the energy transition in Bangladesh and decarbonise it further. It was informed in the event that GE has more than 120 gas turbines globally that are running on between 5 percent (by volume) and 100 percent hydrogen, and have accumulated more than 8.5 million operating hours. In a move to lead the global energy transition, GE announced in 2022 the spin-off of GE Vernova as a purpose-built business, that highlights the company’s commitment to sustainability and elevating its position as a key player in the energy industry that empowers climate action in all markets. BPDB chairman Mahbubur Rahman said Bangladesh is already a power surplus nation with 100 percent coverage of electricity, and now our focus is to supply reliable electricity in an uninterrupted manner. "We are deploying the latest technologies and digital solutions to make the power infrastructure more robust, and I see GE Vernova, a new company, through its comprehensive portfolio, playing a crucial role in taking this journey forward", he said. "GE Vernova can also help us in meeting the Smart Bangladesh Vision in the future,” he added. GE Gas Power South Asia CEO Deepesh Nanda said his company remains committed to leading a new era of clean energy in Bangladesh. "Today, GE’s technology is powering multiple power plants in the country and our power services are helping the power plant owners to use the fuel efficiently while generating electricity at lower cost", he said. "GE will continue to offer a comprehensive portfolio of powering solutions distinguished by our commitment to quality, productivity, cost effectiveness and safety standards.” He said as Bangladesh diversifies its energy mix, GE’s hybrid power solutions can create an ecosystem in Bangladesh to supply electricity on round-the-clock basis in future. Managing director of Ashuganj Power Station Company Ltd., Sazzadur Rahman, director general of Power Cell Mohammad Hossain, Global Hydrogen Value Chain Leader, GE Power Jeffrey Goldmeer also spoke at the event.    

Power secretary Habibur Rahman has said that the government is vigorously promoting renewable energy in the country’s power generation mix. “In our development endeavour, great importance is given to green energy,” he said while addressing as chief guest at 3-day International Conference on Energy and Power Engineering (ICEPE 2022) on November 24 at Brac Inn in the city. The Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) of the BRAC University organised the conference with the theme– “Green Energy for All.” Professor Vincent Chang, Vice Chancellor, BRAC University also joined the opening ceremony as the special guest. Read more:  The power secretary mentioned that the government is also willing to generate up to 40 percent of electricity from clean energy by 2041. He suggested the organisers of the conference share the proceedings of the conference with the Power Division, so that the government can take those into consideration while formulating future course of actions. Professor Vincent Chang, Vice-Chancellor of the university, said that the policy is relevant but any policy without the support of technological advancement will unlikely succeed. Anything contributing to improvement of energy technology perhaps can be more effective than many policies, he added. Read more: British High Commission Dhaka turns to renewable energy through solar panels Professor Md. Mosaddequr Rahman, chairperson of EEE Department and general chair pf the ICEPE 2022 delivered the opening remarks and professor Shahidul Islam Khan, technical chair of the ICEPE 2022 presided over the opening ceremony. Organized for the second time, ICEPE 2022 aimed at providing a platform to leading researchers, engineers and scientists in the areas of power and energy engineering. Eminent professors and experts from Bangladesh and abroad conducted panel sessions and keynote talks on power and energy related topics. The conference also called for papers from researchers nationally and internationally. Professor Saifur Rahman, 2022 IEEE President-elect and Dr. Nagaraja Ramappa, managing director at Power Research & Development Consultants Prv. Ltd, India attended the conference as the keynote speakers. Read more: Consultant submits final draft on review of renewable energy policy They spoke on the topics “Causes and Effects of Carbonization on the Climate: Decarbonization Opportunities in the Electric Power Sector” and “Integrated resource planning and power procurement optimization in a RE rich environment” respectively. Prof. Muhammad Fayyaz Khan, Vice Chancellor, Bangladesh University of Business & Technology, Bangladesh and Dr. Shaikh Fattah (SMIEEE, FIEB), Professor, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Director, Institute of Robotics and Automation, BUET (IRAB), Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) moderated the panel sessions in this conference. Professor Tareq Aziz, Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, Professor Abdul Hasib Chowdhury, Professor, Dept. of EEE & Director, Institute of Nuclear Power Engineering and Mohammad Golam Sarware Kainat Joint Secretary, Posts and Telecommunications Division, Ministry Of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology attended as the panelists in the panel session. The best paper was awarded as the ‘Dr. Fatima-Rashid best paper award’ along with other certifications and prizes on the last day of the conference, said a press release of the Brac University.