The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

The country can add 300 to 500-mmcf fresh gas to the national grid from the existing gas fields taking a vigorous augmentation plan, local experts claimed.

"At present, the country is able to produce 1,850 to 1,900- mmcf gas per day against the demand of 2,100 mmcf, but it could produce another 300-500 mmcf every day and increase its proven reserve to four TCF from two TCF taking the vigorous systematic plan," Maqbul-E-Elahi, former director of Petrobangla, said.

The local experts at a seminar in the city on Thursday also said indecision of the policymakers and improper appreciation of the national needs and realities by development partners have jeopardised the smooth development of the energy sector of the country.

Pointing their finger to the policymakers for lacking of understanding about the national goal and time value, they caution that if the mindset of the policymakers would not change then they would not be able to feed the energy sector to fulfill the government's election pledge to make the country "Digital Bangladesh by 2021."

"If we fail to ensure energy security, it would not be possible to attain the aspiration of the people. It is expected that the government should make an attempt to assess the actual need of the present and future demand of energy in view to reaching the targeted goal time," Maqbul said.

He said after mid-eighties some untold happening mismanagement and lacks of initiatives in petroleum exploration made a heavy setback in the sector and ultimately led to the sever energy crisis in the recent years.

He made this remarks at the national seminar on "Energy: issues, challenges and options for Bangladesh", organized by Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS).

Maqbul-E-Elahi and Dr Md Shawkat Akbar, project director of Roopur Nuclear Plant of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, has presented papers on "Energy issue in Bangladesh" and "Nuclear energy in Bangladesh: Opportunities and challenges" separately.

Dr Tawfiq-e-Ealhi Chowdhury, adviser to the Prime Minister, told the seminar that to address the nagging energy crisis the government has taken some short-term, mid-term and long-term initiatives.

Dr Akbra said, "Nuclear power plant is a big financial challenge for the country as it require US$ 175 to $117 million for generating 100-MW power and this project would be viable when the country would able to find out an experienced potential country as a partner with proven and safe technology to implement the nuclear power plant by 2016."

Taking part in the discussion, Prof Aminul Haq of BUET said according to the statistics the portion of agriculture in the gross domestic product (GDP) is decreasing day-by-day and the contribution of the industrial sector is increasing.

The statistics said nowadays the national economy is depending on the industrial sector and the energy is the backbone of industrial growth.

To maximize the recovery of any gas field, re- estimation is a must but unfortunately the energy ministry never takes any initiative to re-estimate the reserve of the gas fields, Mahbubur Rahman, a BUET teacher, said.

"The production chart of Petrobangla said national companies are producing less gas than the international oil companies. It would create serious havoc in future days," he said.

Prof Nurul Islam of BUET said if the government would not pay the actual cost to the national gas companies, the financial health of these companies would be worse in coming days.