Team Europe Initiative on Green Energy Transition (TEI GET) will promote renewable energy in Bangladesh in achieving its national goal. The TEI GET expressed such interest while a delegation of the organisation made a field visit to 3 renewable energy projects in Dhamrai area of Dhaka on Tuesday. According to a release, representatives off Germany and the European Union, as TEI GET Co-Chairs, along with high-level representatives of Denmark, Sweden, AFD, GIZ, KFW, Switzerland were present. Read Akij sets up rooftop solar plant with Huawei's technology Additional Secretary of Renewable Energy, Power Division of Bangladesh Md Mostafa Kamal,, Additional Secretary and Member Admin, Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) Md Golam Mostofa were also present. The field visit, organized together with IDCOL, started with a guided tour of the operational rooftop solar with Net Metering system at Snowtex Outerwear Ltd. at Dhamrai, Savar, following  a discussion meeting with TEI GET, IDCOL, Snowtex Management and Government counterparts. Later, the group visited an IDCOL project, co-financed by KFW, of Solar Irrigation Pumps, and a domestic biogas plant in Dhamrai. Read: 25% electricity from renewables by 2030: SREDA proposes, GOB disposes? During the visit’s discussion, Johannes Schneider, Head of Development Cooperation, Germany, highlighted EU Member States’ common interest to support Bangladesh in achieving their national goals and international commitments in the field of renewable energy through the Team Europe Initiative  “This Initiative will allow us to better coordinate and consolidate our engagement in the Green Energy Sector and strengthen our relationship with the Bangladesh Government and the private sector,” he said. Maurizio Cian, Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation, highlighted the transformational approach of Team Europe said that the Team Europe’s common values and expertise in Renewable Energy are key drivers of this initiative. Read Bangladesh seeks IRENA’s support to explore renewable energy potential “Team Europe provides the framework to deliver European support to the Government of Bangladesh, with the ambition of a transformational impact in accelerating a green and just energy transition,” he added. Mostafa Kamal, Additional Secretary of Power Division, said that Bangladesh is committed to increase renewable energy contribution in the national power generation mix, to promote appropriate, efficient and environment friendly technology for the development of renewable energy. “We are looking forward to implementing our strategies in collaboration with Team Europe,” he said. Read: Renewable energy could be Bangladesh’s best option post Covid-19 TEI GET, launched in Dhaka in June 2021, aims at supporting Bangladesh to build a power system that leads to maximum coverage of the country`s energy demand through renewable energy while reducing GHG emissions, energy consumption and demand through energy efficiency. TEI GET, co-chaired by Germany and the EU includes EU Member States Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and like-minded countries like Norway and Switzerland. TEI GET comprises projects in the area of effective sustainable energy market, optimized grid infrastructure and renewable energy integration into the grid, it added. Read Govt aims for 10% electricity from renewables by 2025

European Union and its other financial institutions including European Investment Bank (EIB) have expressed keen interest to finance the country’s green energy and energy efficiency projects.   They expressed their interest during the launch of the Team Europe Initiative on Green Energy Transition (TEI GET) in Bangladesh at a virtual function on Wednesday (June 23, 2021) in the city. Welcoming the launch of the TEI GET, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said Bangladesh has set a target to generate 40 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2040. Read Solar power plant in Manikganj starts commercial operation “We want technological and financial support from the EU to achieve the goal with its huge experience in the field”, he said. The function was also addressed by Rensje Teerink, Ambassador of the EU Delegation, head of cooperation of German Embassy Caren Blume, European Investment Bank representative Donal Cannon and German agency FfW’s representative Anirben Kundu, and Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (Sreda) Chairman Mohammad Alauddin.    It was informed that TEI GET is one of two flagships of the international Team Europe approach, which provides strategic European responses to the challenges faced by Europe`s partner countries. Also read: Move for setting up national renewable energy lab The current amount of activities of TEI GET adds up to EUR 930.6million (equivalent to around Tk 9378.7crore) to promote investment in green energy and energy efficiency projects. In Bangladesh, the Team Europe initiative on Green Energy Transition is co-chaired by Germany and the Delegation of the European Union (EU). It aims at supporting Bangladesh to build a power system that leads to maximum coverage of the country’s energy demand through renewable energy. It also intends to reduce CO2 emissions, energy consumption and demand through energy efficiency. Read Bangladesh’s single largest rooftop solar power plant inaugurated in Korean EPZ Nasrul Hamid said Bangladesh took up 52 solar projects and only 3-4 were implemented due to various obstacles including high cost, and scarcity in lands. “But Bangladesh is very much committed to achieve the renewable energy target and has already dropped some coal-fired power plants from the implementation list as a move to reduce dependency to fossil fuel”, he said. He said technology is changing so fast and  cost is coming down will help Bangladesh to achieve the new goal. Also read: Promotion of renewable energy requires common international platform: Nasrul Rensje Teerink said the Team Europe initiative draws on the wealth of Team Europe’s expertise in Renewable Energy. “It pulls resources together and provides an opportunity to combine the most appropriate mix of implementing modalities to obtain maximum results. It shows that multilateralism works”, she added. The EIB representative said trans-border electricity transmission, energy storage and energy efficiency projects could be potential areas of investment. Read Solar Home System: IDCOL partners seek govt intervention in loan write-off issue “But the projects must be designed appropriately maintaining international standards to attract investment from the EIB”, he added.