Exploration of new energy sources must

Speakers at a roundtable here on Thursday underscored the need for exploration new sources of energy including offshore mining as the country's demand for power has been increasing rapidly.

A national committee should be formed to monitor the activities in energy sector and steps must be taken to reduce the use of natural gas by exploiting other resources including coal, they said.

The roundtable titled 'Future Source of Energy in Bangladesh' was organized by the weekly 'Ekhon' at the Jatiya Press Club here which was moderated by the editor of the weekly Ataus Samad.

President of Water Partnership Bangladesh Quamrul Islam Siddiqui, Chairman of petroleum institute of BUET Dr Mohammad Tamim, Chairman of Summit Group Mohammad Aziz Khan, Professor S M Mahfuzur Rahman of Dhaka University, former director of Petrobangla Moinul Ahsan, Dr Khalil Chowdhury of Jahangirnagar University, editor of the daily Manabjamin Motiur Rahman Chowdhury and chairman of the Forum of Environmental Journalists of Bangladesh Quamrul Islam Chowdhury spoke, among others.

Ataus Samad said the scope has been created to extract gas from the new gas fields in the Bay of Bengal.

Dr Tamim recommended five steps including extracting gas from the existing fields, improving efficiency of human resources and diversifying energy use for solving energy crisis.

Referring to the requirement of huge investment in the power and gas sector, Quamrul Islam Siddiqui said the private sector should be involved in the power sector like the country's readymade garments (RMG) sector by making congenial investment climate in the sector.

"In the Kaptai Hydro-Electric Plant, another 100 MW power could be generated without raising the height of the existing dam," he added.

Other speakers underlined the need for making facilities to use renewable energy including hydro-power, nuclear and solar power in the country.

It is necessary to keep the country's gas resources reserved for fertilizer production and household uses, they suggested.