Staff Reporter :
All the diesel-run irrigation pumps will be transformed into solar irrigation as there are about 12 lakh diesel irrigation pumps in the agriculture sector across the country.
State Minister for Power and Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said on Saturday in the city.
He said, “There are about 12 lakh diesel irrigation pumps in the agriculture sector across the country that will be transformed into solar irrigation.”
The farmers are now using diesel run pumps to irrigate their lands to produce paddy during dry season due to inadequate supply of power.
However, the State Minister for Power said, “To combat effects of climate change, the government’s target is to produce 4,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity from renewable energy by 2030.”
Plan has been made to generate 40 percent power from clean energy by 2041, he said adding that import of about 9,000MW under regional and sub-regional cooperation from neighbouring countries.
The state minister said the government has a roadmap to increase power from renewable energy sources up to 12,000 MW in the future.
According to experts, Bangladesh is now enjoying 100% electrification due to the visionary and prudent leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Electricity has reached all houses from inaccessible hills to isolated char areas successfully.
But experts said lack of land and investment are the big challenges for expanding renewable energy and electricity generation in the country.
They mentioned that the developed countries have been pressuring the developing countries to reduce fossil fuel and increase renewable energy in order to deal with the risks of climate change.
The state minister said in such a situation, the government has required a long-term plan to reduce coal fired power plants and increase renewable energy in the country, adding, “Under the energy transition, solar power is being prioritised in agriculture instead of diesel irrigation pumps.”
According to an analysis of the government plan in the renewable energy sector, the production target from 51 projects in the short and medium term is 3748 MW.
Out of the target, 647 MW will be in the public sector and 3101 MW from solar, wind and waste based power in the private sector solar.
The government’s long-term plan emphasises on importing renewable energy from neighbouring countries.
Prospective generation target is 8299 MW from 74 ongoing projects.
Major portion of the power (6493 MW) will come from the private sector. However, experts mentioned investment, modernisation of grid lines as a challenge to implement the plan.
Apart from this, construction works are going on for 100 MW Solar Power Plant at Madarganj in Jamalpur, 68 MW Solar Park in Sirajganj, 50 MW Solar Power Plant Construction Project in Sonagazi in Feni, 30 MW (AC) Solar Park at Tetulia, by Beximco Power Company Ltd and Jiangsu Zhongtian Technology Co Ltd, 32 MW (AC) Solar Park at Dharmapasha, Sunamganj by Haor Bangla-Korea Green Energy Ltd, 5 MW (AC) Solar Park at Patgram, Lalmonirhat by PV Power Patgram Ltd, 5 MW (AC) Solar Park at Gowainghat, Sylhet by Sun Solar Power Plant Ltd and 200 MW (AC) Solar Park at Sundarganj, Gaibandha by Beximco Power Co Ltd.
