Power purchase contracts with rental and quick rental power plants could be done and extended on-call basis like that of Uber, said Prime Minister’s energy advisor Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury. “Rental and quick rental plants are our national assets. We can take their service on-call basis,” he said while addressing a webinar titled: “Rental, Quick Rental Power Plant, Past, Present and Future”, organised by Forum for Energy Reporters Bangladesh (FERB), on Tuesday.       The energy advisor’s comments came amid huge criticisms against the most costly electricity that the government has been purchasing for a long time from the private sector. The plants were set up on an unsolicited basis as part of the government’s strategy to find a quick solution to the nagging power crisis that prevailed over a decade back. Despite surplus generation of more than 4,000 MW in the power system, many of the rental and quick rental plants are still in operation following the extension of their contracts with the government on a number of occasions. Defending the rental and quick rental’s continuous operation, Tawfiq Elahi said these plants sometimes become essential because of the volatility in the global fuel market.

The country’s natural gas should be used mainly for power generation instead of expanding its supply to industries and other uses, a webinar was told on Saturday.  If gas is used for power generation with highest efficiency, it can meet the energy requirement without investment in gas pipeline installation to provide the energy to the industries, Dr Ahmad Kaikaus, principal secretary to the prime minister, told the webinar speaking as chief guest. Kaikaus, who served as the power secretary, called for boosting efficiency in the power sector so tariff remains in check. However, he said power price will go up as no nation has been able to reduce it. The webinar titled, “Electricity Demand in Bangladesh: Installed and Supply Capacity” was organized by Forum for Energy Reporters Bangladesh (FERB). Eminent energy expert Dr M Tamim made a presentation on the webinar’s topic while it was addressed by power secretary Habibur Rahman, Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) chairman Belayet Hossain, Power Cell director general Mohammad Hossain, Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) chairman Moin Uddin, Bangladesh Independent Power Producers Association (Bippa) president Imran Karim, Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) managing director Golam Kibria, Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC) Ltd managing director Bikash Dewan and Dhaka Electric Supply Company (Desco) managing director Kausar Ameer Ali. Tamim said that Bangladesh should prepare short-term and long-term roadmap for its power sector keeping in mind the global commitment for zero emission by 2050 when power will be generated from renewable sources. “But until 2050, gas could be used transition fuel for power generation in next 20-30 years as still it is the cheapest primary energy”, he said adding that by this time, top most emphasis should be given on promotion of renewable energy as new technologies are coming up to reduce the cost of rooftop solar and other options. He said there should be a long-term planning for offering a stable tariff structure for the investors in the industrial sector. “Otherwise investors will not be interested to make investment depending on uncertainty or unstable power tariff”, he observed.                 Power secretary Habibur Rahman said Bangladesh has shared its proposal on regional power and sharing at the SAARC energy related meeting in Afghanistan. “It will be a win-win proposition if the regional power and energy sharing concept is materialized”, he said. He also said under the proposed arrangement all countries could be benefited. “Bangladesh can easily export its surplus electricity for the winter season while it can import for summer under the mechanism,” he added. Mohammad Hossain said captive power generation has been creating discrimination in power sector by receiving benefit from their lower gas value. He said if 100 mmcfd gas is diverted from captive power to grid power generation, it will be an effective option for addressing the current phenomenon of surplus power.   Belayet Hossain said it is time to get out the costly power generation of the private sector. Imran Karim said the private sector can convert their HFO-based power generation into gas-fired power generation by introducing new technology to reduce the generation cost. FERB chairman Arun Karmaker presided over the seminar while organization’s executive director Shamim Jahangir conducted it.

Although the government has allowed rental and quick rental power plants on short-term basis, now their owners are pursuing for long term agreement which cannot be acceptable in any case, said Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) Chairman Belayet Hossain.   Belayet Hossain made the remarks while speaking at a webinar titled: “Upcoming National Budget FY 2021-22: Expectation of Power Producers” on Saturday.  He observed that despite huge criticism from the mass people, the government allowed these high cost rental and quick rental power plants as remedy to the power crisis of that times.  “But these high cost power plants cannot operate beyond their short-term agreement period”, he added. Forum for Energy Reporters Bangladesh (FERB) organised the online seminar with its chairman Arun Karmaker which was also addressed by State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid, Power Secretary Habibur Rahman, Power Cell director general Mohammad Hossain, and President of Bangladesh Independent Power Producers Assertion (BIPPA) Imran Karim. BIPPA Vice President Mozammel Hossain made a presentation on the topic while FERB executive director Shamim Jahangir conducted the webinar. The BPDB Chairman noted that still the government has to purchase electricity at a much higher rate from the private power producers and sell it to the consumers at lower rate that incurs a huge financial loss to the BPDB.  This creates huge gap of Tk 1.60 per units between the BPDB’s average generation cost and electricity supply to the consumers, he noted adding that the government had to provide Tk 7000-8000 crore in the current fiscal as subsidy to fill the gap.  “This fiscal year, this gap will go up and the government has to provide increased subsidy”, he said adding that there is indication that allocation for power sector may be decreased in the upcoming national as the government’s focus is shifting to health sector. State Minister Nasrul Hamid said the BPDB has to be more efficient in power generation by retiring the inefficient power plant without showing many excuse.   He, however, agreed different demands of the private power producers like lowering the income tax, reducing import duty on furnace oil, waiving advance income tax and removing complexities in stamp duty.  Power Secretary Habibur Rahman assured the private power producers to palce their demands to the National Board of Revenue.  BIPPA president Imran Karim said the private power producers have to face difficult times due to the increased import duty of furnace oil to 34 percent and also for obligation on paying advance income tax. Mohammad Hossain said although the country’s power generation capacity reached over 24,000 MW, still industries do not trust that the government can supply quality power.  “That’s why 3000 MW power is being generated by the captive power producers in the industrial sector”, he added. Mozammel Hossain said private power producers are facing delay in getting their payments against the sale of electricity to the government.  He also alleged that private power producers are not getting environmental clearance certificates before commissioning of their power plants. 

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has said that about Tk 9,000 crore electricity bills have been pending with consumers since the coronavirus outbreak in March last year. 

Notwithstanding an exponential growth in electricity generation, the repeated power tariff hikes across Bangladesh will only burden the consumers, eminent economist Dr Ahsan H Mansur has said.

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has said that the country will achieve the target of access to electricity for  all by December this year.

‘Energy Night 2020’ - a biannual get-together function of Forum for Energy Reporters Bangladesh (FERB) was held at Hotel InterContinental Dhaka on Thursday.