renewable energy in bangladesh essay

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Current status of running renewable energy in Bangladesh and future prospect: A global comparison

Md. abdullah-al-mahbub.

a Dr. Wazed Research and Training Institute, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur, Bangladesh

Abu Reza Md Towfiqul Islam

b Department of Disaster Management, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur 5400, Bangladesh

Associated Data

Data included in article/supplementary material/referenced in article.

World's fossil fuels are disappearing rapidly due to multidimensional uses, mainly for electricity generation. Nevertheless, Bangladesh has also a very limited source of natural gas and coal for electricity production. Hence, the major goal of this review is to outlines the present status of installed renewable generations in the country and predict the future prospect. Despite the existence of literature's abundance on Bangladesh's potential for renewable energy (RE), and their prospects, nothing is covered about the phases of renewable energy projects like projects already completed and running, projects implementation ongoing, and projects under planning. Therefore, an endeavor has been made for the first time to expose Bangladesh's three phases of renewable energy, including projects that are currently operational, those that are still being implemented, and projects that are still in the planning stages. Data was collected from Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21), International Hydropower Association (IHA), Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA), Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MODMR), and Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources (MOPMER). Based on these data, this research suggests that Bangladesh is generating 723.26 Megawatt (MW) electricity from renewable sources including 67.61% from solar, 31.80% from hydro, 0.58% from others including wind, biogas and biomass, where 489 MW electricity makes from over 6 million (63, 25, 278) of installed solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems till mid of April 2021 and a total of 6,408,721 numbers of RE plants are completed and running. Bangladesh is a prospective area for harvesting solar, wind, and bioenergy with limited hydropower, despite the fact that over 42% of rural societies still lack access to electricity. This review will help investors, shareholders, researchers and decision makers of both public and private sector to realize the latest renewable energy situation of Bangladesh, and for future planning and management in a sustainable way.

Graphical abstract

• • Solar, wind, bioenergy and hydropower are the present renewable energy in Bangladesh.
• • The Government of Bangladesh has set a goal of creating 2624 MW of renewable energy, of which 723.26 MW are now in production, 519.956 MW are in the implementation phase, and 1328.81 MW are in the planning stage.
• • Over 6 million solar PV systems have been installed, producing approximately 489.03 MW of electricity.
• • Wind energy would be potential especially in the coastal Bangladesh.
• • Bangladesh produces 155.82 million ton of poultry and livestock manure each year which would be potential for bioenergy generation.

Nomenclature

Abbreviations and acronyms in alphabetic order, 1. introduction.

Today energy is synonymous with the development and is the basis as well as a vital ingredient for the development of modern nation and plays an essential role for survival and improvement of human life [ 1 ]. Electricity is a must for the world to advance both technologically and sustainably. Its use is expanding globally due to the rate of technological improvement and rising urbanization. Every second electrical instruments are consuming further and further energy due to high-tech progressions, increasing demand, and occasionally, wasteful and consumption of energy inefficient electrical and electronic devices [ 2 , 3 ]. Any nation cannot survive without energy/electricity because it is a controlling engine of technological, social, economic, environmental as well as sustainable development [ 4 ]. Energy is necessary for meeting the many needs of humanity, including basic electrification, industrialization, and further progress [ 5 ]. All daily activities like charging cell phone, using computer or internet, watching TV or running any other present day's electrical/electronic/IT equipment, are executed by electrical energy. Medical science and all medical checkup and pathological tests cannot imagine without electrical energy. Basically, energy is essential for human satisfaction in every moment and without energy creation of global village is impossible. So, any imbalance relating demand and supply of energy can make vulnerable the country's ability to function, particularly in developing nations [ 6 ]. Coal, natural gas, and petroleum are usually specified to fossil fuels [ 7 ]. Generally, more or less all nations fulfill their energy demands from conventional energy sources. For example, natural gas is the leading fuel utilized to generate electricity in the Middle East, CIS, North America, and Africa; coal is the principal fuel in Asia; hydropower is the principal source of electricity in South and Central America where over half of power generated from this source; and only Europe follows the fuel diversification strategy for power generation by five diverse fuels like nuclear (the main source), natural gas, coal, renewables and hydro are all in a narrow range of 16–23% [ 8 ]. Burning fossil fuels produces roughly three-quarters (75%) of the energy used in the world, which release a huge amount of anthropogenic GHGs mainly carbon, solid substances and other gases as the energy consumption increases; and therefore, it causes pollution, global warming and ultimately climate change [ [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] ]. It is assumed that the conventional fossil fuel-based electricity generation have added to one-third of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions [ 14 ] causing major threats to global present and future environmental safety and security on health and social issues [ 15 ]. In 2019, China was the main primary energy consumer in the world, using 141.7 EJ (EJ). The second largest consumer was U.S., using 94.65 EJ followed by India (34.06 EJ), Russia 29.81 EJ, Japan (18.67 EJ), Canada (14.21 EJ), Germany (13.14 EJ), Brazil (12.4 EJ), S. Korea (12.37 EJ) and Iran (12.34 EJ) [ 16 ].

Moreover, it has been assessed that world's total fossil fuels will have been totally consumed within a few decades not only that these resources are inadequate and are becoming expensive and scarcer rapidly [ 17 ]. In order to ensure energy security, several nations are switching substantially on renewable sources of energy to fulfill their electricity requirements [ 18 ]. According to the REN21, global RE generation capacity added up to 3146 GW at the end of 2021 [ 19 ].

In Bangladesh, 26 gas fields have been detected [ 20 ] till now and the gross gas initially in place (GIIP) is 40.09 Tcf, in which assessed total recoverable gas reserve (2P) is 30.06 Tcf. The cumulative gas production as of December 2020 is 18.24 Tcf, and remaining reserve up to December 2020 is only 11.81 Tcf [ 21 ] for next 10–12 years [ 22 ], shown in Table S1 and Table S2 . Additionally, there are approximately 3139 million tons of high-grade bituminous coal reserves, which would be equivalent to 85 Tcf of gas in five coal fields, namely Jamalganj (1054 MT), Dighipara (600 MT), Phulbari (572 MT), Khalaspir (523 MT), Barapukuria (390 MT) and shown in Fig. S1 [ 20 ].

Over the last three decades, the demand of natural gas increased very fast in Bangladesh. Fig. 1 presents the natural gas demand projection in the country [ 20 ]. The present natural gas demand is about 3624 MMscfd whereas supply is 3500 MMscfd (Gas + imported LNG) representing a deficiency of about 124 MMscfd and the demand will growth to about 4622 MMscfd by the year 2030, shown in Fig. 2 .

Natural gas demand projection in the country (Unit: mmcfd) [Source: Created by the authors based on [ 20 ] data].

Natural gas supply and demand (Unit: mmcfd) [Source: Created by Authors based on HCU [ 20 ] data].

Sustainable energy sources are being used by developing countries to meet their energy needs, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Malaysia, Vietnam, among others [ 23 ]. Bangladesh is a favorable location for the increase of the production of RE from a geographical perspective and the geographic position offers the nation a number of advantages that allow it to thrive in the generation of sustainable renewable energy. Bangladesh is a location with boundless potential, natural and human resources. To effectively use its resources to address the problems it is now experiencing, the nation lacks a methodical approach. Bangladesh is still working to better its economic situation despite the fact that the majority of its population live in poverty, and its GDP recently increased by 11.33% from 2020 to 2021 [ 24 ].

The production of electricity primarily depends on natural gas, oil, and coal―the reserve of which is limited in Bangladesh [ 25 ] as well as emit a lot of greenhouse gases. For this reason, the GoB has recently taken an initiate to enhance environment friendly RE generation capacity along with conventional energy sources which will play an essential role to meet the energy demand in future. However, the majority of people are not concerned about Bangladesh's renewable market or the advantages of renewable energy. This information gap is a significant obstacle to the widespread use of RE.

There have been many studies on Bangladesh's RE status, prospects, and potential, a few of which are [ 1 , 3 , 4 , [26] , [27] , [28] ], however none of them have yet revealed the details of running renewable developments i.e., projects completion and running, projects implementation ongoing, and projects under planning stage and their future prospects. They all explored very briefly the present status and future prospects of renewable energy in their articles. Therefore, the main goal of this review is to review and identify the current status of RE progress. The novelty of this study is to recognize the current status of running RE progress in terms of RE plants completion and running, projects implementation ongoing, and projects under planning stage in Bangladesh and to predict their future potential ( Table 1 ).

Present status of RE capacity from various sources in Bangladesh [Created by the authors based on SREDA data [ 40 ]].

(S= System; C=Capacity; MW = Megawatt).

The remaining portions of the paper are arranged into eight segments. The methodology is covered in Section 2 , which is divided into two units called data source and systematic structure for conducting the review task. The generation of energy (power) in Bangladesh is covered in Section 3 . The current status of global renewable energy is described in Section 4 . The current status of the various operating RE sources in Bangladesh, which are broken down into solar energy, wind energy, bioenergy (biopower, biofuel, biomass, and biogas), and hydropower, is explained in Section 5 . Future prospects of RE in Bangladesh are discussed in Section 6 . The policy for renewable energy is presented in Section 7 . Discussion is deliberated in Section 8. Finally, the conclusion brings the paper to a close.

2. Methodology

For doing in-depth research, pertinent data must be obtained through scholarly articles, yearly reports, or official websites. The most important duty before writing reviews of any topic is choosing relevant keywords. 230 academic literatures are found based on the selected keywords. Only 221 items are gathered from the thousands of articles returned by the keyword search after careful filtering. Additionally, 112 papers are discarded and 109 articles are finalized based on the acceptability and relevance of this review process. In addition, 69 academic journal (67 journals, 2 conference proceedings), and 19 annual reports from different RE organizations, and 21 official website databases from the grey literature are used. The recommended review task is then presented after carefully analyzing 106 articles and documents.

2.1. Systematic structure for carrying out the review work

A well-planned approach becomes the main necessity for conducting systematic research. Preparation stage, evaluation stage, and outcome stage are the three primary divisions of the research approach, as illustrated in Fig. 3 . The subsequent subsections give more information about these. Fig. 3 depicts the systematic structure for carrying out the review work.

Review methodology.

2.1.1. Preparation stage: The systemic research process begins with the preparation phase. The research's goals are developed during this stage. Then, in order to achieve the goal, a set of key phrases was chosen in relation to the primary goals, and a search was carried out. The primary databases for searching research articles include those from Elsevier, Springer, Sage, IEEE, MDPI, and Taylor & Francis. Government websites pertaining to power and RE are also considered. Energy related Reports from different energy websites are also considered as well.

2.1.2. Evaluation stage: Searches are conducted in the chosen databases using keywords and questions related to the research topic. After doing a search using the specified parameters, the found research papers, review articles, and annual reports are examined. Only excellent research sources are chosen after the screening procedure. Any of these materials that do not adhere to the objectives of the research are rejected after additional consideration.

2.1.3. Outcome stage: Information is taken from the chosen research sources in this phase. The data is divided into a number of essential components. Then, pertinent information/facts are compiled and finally, the writing of the article is completed using this systematic technique.

2.2. Data source

The primary focus of this study is on Bangladesh's current situation with regard to renewable energy and its potential to spread over the entire nation. The statistics and information came from official reports that were issued by a number of international and national energy agencies and organizations. The following is a list of the studies referenced for this paper.

• a) Statistical Review of World Energy 2020, published by the British Petroleum (BP) [ 8 ]
• b) Global Status Reports (Renewables 2021, 2016, & 2017) published by the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN 21) [ 19 , 29 , 30 ]
• c) Hydrocarbon Unit (HCU), Energy and Mineral Resources Division, Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources [ 20 , 31 ]
• d) World Energy Outlook 2019 by the International Energy Agency (IEA) [ 32 ]
• e) International Energy Outlook 2019 by the U.S Energy Information Administration [ 33 ]
• f) Annual Report 2021–2022 of Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) [ 34 ]
• g) Bangladesh Statistical Pocket Book 2019. Bangladesh Bur. Stat (BBS) [ 35 ]
• h) Power System Master Plan (PSMP) published by the Gov. of the People's Rep. of Bangladesh [ 36 ]
• i) Power and Energy Sector Strategy Paper (SSP) by Ministry of Planning, Gov. of the People's Rep. of Bangladesh [ 37 ]
• j) Global Wind Report by Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) [ 38 ]
• k) Hydropower Status Report 2020. Int. Hydropower Assoc [ 39 ].
• l) Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA). Ministry of Power, Mineral and Energy Resources [ 40 ]

Therefore, the main goal of this review is to determine the current status of RE resources in Bangladesh and to predict their future potential.

3. Electricity (power) generation in Bangladesh

According to BPDB, the current progress of annual energy demand is around 10%, but it will increase in the future due to rising population, their social, economic, technical as well as GDP progressions [ 34 ]. In fiscal year 2020–2021, the net electricity production was 80,423 GWh, which was 12.61% advanced than the net production from the prior year of 71,419 GWh. The per capita electricity production in the year 2020–2021 was 560 KWh [ 35 ]. In fiscal year 2021–22, the total electricity production was 85,607 GWh, which was 6.45% advanced than previous year's net production of 80,423 GWh. In that year 55.06% (47,136 GWh) electricity was generated from natural gas, 26.71% (22,867 GWh) from furnace oil, 9.01% (7712 GWh) power was imported from India and 9.22% (7892 GWh) was generated from other sources including 1.73% (1483 GWh) from diesel, 6.24% (5342 GWh) from coal, 0.87% (744 GWh) from hydro and 0.38% (323 GWh) from other renewable sources, shown in Fig. 4 (a). In the last year, the sector wise power consumptions were used 57% (40708.83 GWh) in domestic, 28% (19997.32 GWh) in industrial, 10% (7141.9 GWh) in commercial, 2% (1428.38 GWh) in agricultural and 3% (2142.57 GWh) in other sectors respectively, shown in Fig. 4 (b).

(a) Sources of total net electricity generation in Bangladesh (2021–2022) [ 20 , 34 ], (b) sector wise power consumption pattern in Bangladesh (2021–2022) [ 34 ] [Source: Created by Authors based on HCU [ 20 ] & BPDB [ 34 ] data].

According to the updated PSMP-2016, in 2021, 2030 and 2041, the electricity generation capacity prerequisite will be 21,000 MW, 31,000 MW and 57,000 MW respectively in contrast to the demand of 14,500 MW, 27,400 and 51,000 MW [ 38 , 41 , 42 ]. The historical total electricity productions in the country are shown in Fig. 5 .

Historical total electricity production in Bangladesh for the fiscal year 2005–2021 [ 21 ].

Bangladesh, which located in South Asia, is the 8 th most populous countries of the world with a population of 168.25 million and has a population density of 1265 people/Km 2 (3277 people/sq. miles) [ 43 , 44 ]. Over the past ten years, Bangladesh has been suffering from an astounding lack of energy supply in order to fulfill the rising demand [ [45] , [46] , [47] ]. Although, in 2019, electricity extended about 93.5% people in the country as a source of lighting up their homes, compared to 90.1% in the previous year [ 48 ]; still 79% users experience low voltage supply and 60% users suffer load-shedding. Insufficient energy along with load-shedding and low voltage supply also hinder work activities, reduce exports and sluggish the economic development. Therefore, the nation's energy crisis is a burning issue to fulfill the sustainable future energy demand. So, in order to address the energy crisis, there is no other solution without RE.

In the country's economic history, the GDP growth rate of Bangladesh for 2021 was 6.94%, a 3.49% increase from 2020 [ 49 ]. The continuation of the growth of GDP is the precondition of any nation's development and the energy is the main driving force. Basically, sustainable future economic progress ominously depends on the availability of energy or electricity. Therefore, sufficient energy production and proper use of energy is crucial for Sustainable Development Goals.

4. Current status of global renewable energy

Energy sources that is really infinite i.e., never run out; that can be easily replenished constantly; that can be generated from natural resources for example sunshine, wind, flowing water, ocean tide, ocean wave, earth's internal heat, biomass and replaceable fuel (plants) is called renewable energy source. These energy sources that can be converted to electricity which is stored and transported to our homes, offices, or industries for use called renewable energy (RE). Alternative energy sources such as RE have play a crucial role to decrease the demand of fossil fuel and could perform an essential role in the energy safety of Bangladesh [ 50 ]. RE can be used as fuels for transportation, generation of electricity, and generation of heat [ 51 ].

According to Ref. [ 52 ], the world's energy consumption is increasing rapidly as compared to population growth. The global commercial progress and rising population will lead about 30% additional energy consumption as the global community has committed to achieve the SDG goals by 2030 and RE can plays an essential role to face this situation (Division P, 2016). In 2017, renewable energy sources generated about one-fourth of the world's electricity [ 53 ].

Fig. 6 shows the world's RE production capacity by energy in 2021. In 2021, the world's total renewable generation capacities come to 3146 GW, which was 306 GW up from the former year's production capacity of 2840 GW (18,41). Hydropower recorded for the highest portion of the world's total RE production of about 37.98% with a capacity of 1195 GW. Wind and solar counted for 26.86% and 29.94% with a capacity of 845 GW and 942 GW. Other renewables counted for 143 GW of biopower, 14.5 GW of geothermal 6 GW of CSP 0.5 GW of ocean power [ 54 ]. For the period of the year 2019, more than 272 GW of renewable generation capacity were added where, around +58% of solar photovoltaics (PV) was installed followed by wind power (+29%), hydropower (+8%), bioenergy (+4%), geothermal (+0.5%) and concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) (+0.5%) shown in Fig. 7 (a). It is noted that, solar and wind energy together continued to lead of around +87% of total renewable additions where hydropower expansion was very low. Fig. 7 (b) shows the historical global renewable generation capacities from 2010 to 2020. According to REN21 [ 54 ], about 3146 GW RE produced in 2021 including hydropower, wind, solar, bioenergy, geothermal and marine where 1222 GW RE produced in 2010.

Worldwide energy production capacity by renewable sources in 2021 [Authors creation based on REN21 [ 54 ] data].

(a) Energy production capacity from renewable sources worldwide, annual new additions (2013–2020) [ 54 ]. (b) Worldwide historical renewable production capacity by energy (2010–2020) [Authors creation based on IRENA [ 55 ] data].

5. Current status of running renewable energy in Bangladesh

As the fossil fuel depleting fast, the GoB has taken several strategies to expand and progress the RE sector along with conventional nonrenewable energy sources. According to Ref. [ 36 ], the country's demand of energy can be fulfilled by exploiting RE resources and the renewable generation capacity share will become 5% by 2015, 10% by 2021 and 100% by 2050 respectively [ 19 , 36 ]. The Government has already engaged with several strategies for investment in both public and private division to realize the target [ 25 , 56 ]. The GoB has so far produced 649.95 MW of RE in accordance with the plan, shown in Table 1 . Although the GoB has taken a target for generating 1676 MW of solar power by 2021 [ 19 ]. Fig. 8 (a) shows the up-to-date electricity generation mix of Bangladesh, and Fig. 8 (b) shows the current status of RE production capacity of the country [ 40 ]. Till mid of April 2021, 47.91% electricity was produced from natural gas, 23.37% from HFO, 8.05% from HSD, 5.20% from imported, 3.24% from renewable, 9.87% from captive and 2.35% from coal.

(a) Current electricity generation mix of Bangladesh. (b) Current status of RE production capacity of the country [Source: Created by the authors based on [ 40 ]].

Although, at present, the RE has a tiny amount of share about 3.24% to the net national electricity production. The net electricity generation capacity from renewables reached to 722.592 MW in the mid of April 2021, in which 67.61% (489 MW) from solar, 31.80% (230 MW) from hydro, 0.58% (4.23 MW) from others together with 2.9 MW (0.40%) from wind, 0.93 MW (0.13%) from biogas and 0.4 MW (0.06%) from biomass.

The present status of installed renewables capacity in Bangladesh is shown in Fig. 9 & Table 1 . The renewable plans in the country is divided into three stages named: (i) RE projects that are already completed and running, (ii) projects that are implementation ongoing, and (iii) projects that are under planning stages. About 723.268 MW of renewable power with a number of 64, 08, 721 renewable projects are completed and running phase; about 571.956 MW with a number of 111 renewable projects are in implementation ongoing phase; around 1328.81 MW with a number of 25 of renewable projects are under planning phase and around 200.25 MW with a number of 3 projects are excluded from planning stage. After rejection, the continuing total numbers of renewable projects (with i, ii, & iii) are 60, 88, 57 with a capacity of 2624.037 MW.

Current status of renewable generation capacity of Bangladesh. [Source: Created by the authors].

The current prominent RE resources of Bangladesh are solar, wind, hydro, biogas and biomass energy, shown in Fig. 10 .

Outline of current RE resources in Bangladesh. [Source: Created by the authors].

5.1. Solar energy

Solar energy is a very clean, green and ecofriendly, of all the other renewables and is a giant source for resolving electricity crisis in Bangladesh. The almighty creator creates the sun as a source of all energy, from the agent of photosynthesis to the generation of PV electricity. The sun produces huge energy in every moment on the earth's surface to meet full-year ongoing energy needs [ 57 , 58 ]. Roughly 99.99% energy originates from the sun where earth delivers only 0.01% [ 59 ]. It is expected that the sun might release energy of approximately 450 EJ that is comparable to 7500 times more of the global current demand of energy [ 60 ].

In the energy sector, solar photovoltaics (PV) is regarded as a standard choice. More and more nations are deploying PV systems to produce more than 20% of their nation's electricity [ 61 ]. Brazil, Algeria, Egypt, Mexico, Turkey, Pakistan, and the Netherlands are just a few of the countries that have demonstrated a strong attention in a momentous switch to solar energy over the past three years [ 55 ].

5.1.1. Global solar energy scenario

One of the most affordable and realistic alternative options for generating electricity is solar energy source than other conventional renewables and the demand of solar PV is gradually growing. Fig. 11 (a) shows historical global capacity with annual additions of solar PV from 2009 to 2021 and Fig. 11 (b) shows the top 10 countries of solar energy capacity additions in 2021. In 2021, the global solar PV market expanded about 25% (175 GW) and the volume of total on-grid and off-grid solar PV was 935 GW whereas it was only 23 GW in 2009, just 12 years before. China added the highest capacity of about 54.9 GW (31%), whereas US added 26.9 GW (15%) the second highest capacity of solar energy. India added about 13 GW (7%) the third in globally and the second highest in Asia followed by Japan 6.5 MW (4%), Brazil 5.5 GW (3%), Germany 5.3 GW (3%), Spain 4.9 GW (3%), Australia 4.6 GW (3%), Korea 4.2 GW (2%) and France 3.4 GW (3%). The rest of the countries added about 45.8 GW (20%).

Solar PV global capacity and top 10 countries (a) Solar PV global capacity and annual additions (2009–2021) [ 19 ]. (b) Global solar PV capacity additions in 2021, top 10 countries [ 19 ].

5.1.2. Current status of solar energy in Bangladesh

Solar energy is practiced by diverse arrangements in Bangladesh termed, solar park, solar rooftop, solar irrigation, solar grid (mini-grid and nano-grid), solar charging station, solar powered telecom BTS, solar home system and solar street light [ 51 ]. Fig. 12 gives a brief overview of Bangladesh's various solar energy practices.

Diversity of solar energy practice in Bangladesh. [Source: Created by the authors].

Although, more than 42% of countryside societies still suffer without electricity access [ 44 ]. Bangladesh is generating 723.26 MW electricity from renewable sources where about 489.03 MW electricity makes from over 6 million (63, 27, 278) of installed solar PV systems till mid of April 2021 ( Fig. 9 & Table 1 ). About 569.49 MW with a number of 108 of solar project systems are under implementation ongoing stage; around 1257.813 MW with a number of 21 of solar project systems are under planning stage and around 200.25 MW with a number of 3 systems are rejected from planning stage ( Fig. 9 & Table 1 ). After rejection, the ongoing total numbers of solar systems (including i, ii, & iii) are 63, 25, 407 with a capacity of 2316.347 MW.

Around 125 stakeholders' company of RE in Bangladesh including World Bank, along with other public and private sector like MoDMR, BREB, BPDB, IDCOL, EGCB, RDCD etc. are working with the government and creates one of the world's largest national solar projects. When it came to receiving 8% of its power from off-grid solar energy systems in 2017, Bangladesh was ranked second in the world, after only Nepal [ 19 ]. Fig. S2 displays the historical deployed solar power capacity and electricity production in Bangladesh.

5.2. Wind energy

Wind energy means making electricity from blowing air which is one of the eco-friendliest RE source. The wind blows against the turbine blades, making them turn. The turbine rotates the generator that makes electricity, shown in Fig. 13 . The best locations for installing wind farms are in coastal areas, hill tops, gaps in mountains and other places where the wind speed is favorable. Smaller off-grid wind turbines can be used to power a house or a school, whereas huge wind farms are generally connected to national grid electricity.

Wind power system, from generation to consumption. [Source: Created by the authors].

Wind power are now extensively used in Americas (USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina); Africa-Middle East (Egypt, Kenya, S. Africa); Asia-Pacific (Australia, China, Pakistan, India, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, Thailand, Philippine), Europe (France, Germany, Sweden, UK, Turkey) etc. [ 38 ].

5.2.1. Global wind energy scenario

Fig. 14 (a) shows, the historic development (2001-2021) of total installations of global wind power, and Fig. 14 (b) shows the historic development (2001-2021) of new installations of global wind power. In 2021, global wind energy generated a total of 837 GW (more than 780 GW from onshore and 57 GW from offshore), a progress of 12% compared to 2020, with around 93.6 GW (72.5 GW from onshore and the rest from offshore) of new capacity added to the global grids. With growth in 2021 only 1.8% behind the record year of 2020, the wind sector has experienced its second-best year ever. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic continuing into its second year, about 94 GW of capacity was added [ 38 ]. This demonstrates the extraordinary resiliency and rising trend of the global wind sector. Fig. 15 (a) displays the Top 10 countries of global total wind power installation in 2021 (onshore and offshore), and Fig. 15 (b) shows the top 10 countries of global annual new additions (onshore and offshore) in 2021. China and USA together made up 57% onshore total and China and UK made up for 70% offshore total global installation, where as China and USA together made up 61% onshore and China and UK made up 91% of the offshore global new installation [ 38 ].

(a) Historic development of total installations of global wind power (2001–2021). (b) Historic development of new installations of global wind power (2001–2021) [Source: Created by the authors based on [ 38 ] data].

(a) Top 10 countries of global total wind power installation in 2021 (onshore and offshore), (b) Top 10 countries of global annual new additions (onshore and offshore) [Source: Created by the authors based on [ 38 ] data].

5.2.2. Present status of wind energy in Bangladesh

As Bangladesh is placed in the tropical region, sufficient wind flows all over the year, especially in the southern portion of the country where strong trade wind blows during summer [ 62 ]. The mean wind speed in some remarkable locations of Bangladesh is shown in Table S3 [ 63 ]. Although, all the areas are not potential for harnessing wind power, the potential locations for wind farms are in coastal zones, offshore islands, at hill tops, riversides and other locations where wind speed is favorable. The coastline of Bangladesh is about 710 km long and extends over 47,201 sq. km area of which about 37000 km sq. is within 50 m depth zone [ 64 , 65 ]. The longest sea beach in the world is situated at the Cox's Bazaar coastline in the Bay of Bengal [ 66 ]. In addition, numerous small-sized islands are also situated in the Bay of Bengal. All these areas are potential for harnessing wind energy.

In Bangladesh, 3 wind farms with a combined capacity of 2.9 MW have already deployed and running at Sonagazi (Feni), Kutubdia (Cox's Bazar); another plant with a capacity of 2 MW is under implementation ongoing phase at Sirajganj sadar; and other 3 plants with a capacity of 70 MW are under planning stages at Kalapara (Patuakhali), Maheshkhali (Cox's Bazar) and Chakaria (Cox's Bazar), shown in Fig. S3 . Further, the GoB declared plans for 150 MW of new wind plants in the locations of Chandpur, Dakop upazila of Khulna and Inani Sea Beach of Cox's Bazar, each of which a capacity of 50 MW [ 67 , 68 ].

5.3. Bioenergy

Energy generated from biological resources or biomasses are called bioenergy. Bioenergy can be renewed into thermal energy (combustions of biomass and biogas directly), biopower (directly by burning of biomass, or altering it into a gaseous fuel or oil, to generate electricity), and biofuels (for transportation).

5.3.1. Biopower

5.3.1.1. global biopower scenario.

According to REN21 (2020) [ 19 ], in 2019, biopower capacity of the world rose for a total of about 139 GW, a growth of 6% up from 131 GW compared to 2018. In 2019, the total bioelectricity generation increased about 591 TWh, an increase of 9% up from 546 TW-hours (TWh) in 2018. In that year, the top regional producer was Asia, generating 225 TWh (an increase of 17%) where China produced nearly half of this generation. The second regional producer was EU, generating 200 TWh (an increase of 5%). The North America dropped a little (down 2%) to 76 TWh.

5.3.1.2. Biogas to biopower scenario in Bangladesh

Fig. 16 (a) shows biogas to electricity large project scenario in Bangladesh and Fig. 16 (b) shows biogas small projects scenario in Bangladesh [ 34 , 69 ]. In Bangladesh, primarily six large biogas project systems (capacity 0.63 MW) are in running, one large system (0.06 MW) is in implementation ongoing phase, and another 1 MW grid connected power plant is under planning. There is another biomass based large project system is planning in Thakurgaon, with a capacity of 1 MW.

(a) Biogas to electricity large project scenario in Bangladesh. (b) Biogas small project scenario in Bangladesh. [Source: Created by the authors based on SREDA [ 34 ] & IDCOL [ 69 ] data].

The installation of small biogas plant has started since the late 1990s, and nearly 80,000 biogas plants have been established and over 60,000 have been under process (Division, 2016). Several organizations like IDCOL, GIZ, BCSIR, MoDMR etc. have been implementing bioenergy project in Bangladesh, where IDCOL has funded building of more than 57,029 biogas plants with daily generation capacity of each plant of about 1.2 m 3 -25.0 m 3 and stood top position, whereas BCSCIR installed about 24,774, GIG 1500 and MoDMR 128 biogas plant. According to IDCOL, every year these biogas plants protect 51,000 tons of firewood, reduce 45,000 tons of chemical fertilizer by producing 316,000 tons of organic fertilizer and reduce 204,000ton CO 2 emission per year [ 69 ].

5.3.2. Biofuel

The fuel, either gaseous, liquid, or solid, generated directly or indirectly by alteration of biomass is called biofuel for example bioethanol produced from sugar cane or corn, charcoal produced from woodchips, and biogas produced from anaerobic breakdown of wastes [ 70 , 71 ]. Biofuels can also be produced from a diversity of plants like Jamal gota ( Jatropha curcas ), Verenda ( Ricinus communis ), sunflower, sugarcane, mustard, corn, rapeseed, soybean, canola algae, etc. [ 72 ].

5.3.2.1. Global biofuel energy scenario

Table S4 shows the global ethanol, Biodiesel FAME and Biodiesel HVO production of top 15 countries [ 19 ]. In 2019, the world's ethanol production improved to 113.3 billion litres, above from 112 billion litres in 2018. The top producer was the US, produced about 56%; the second producer was Brazil, produced about 31% of world's production, followed by China, India, Canada, Thailand etc. In 2019, global Biodiesel (FAME) generation increased to 48.5 billion litres, above from 38 billion litres in 2018. The top producer was Indonesia, produced about 7.9%; the second producer was Brazil, produced about 5.9% of global production, followed by United States, Germany, France, Argentina, Spain etc. whereas the global Biodiesel (HVO) production decreased about 6.9 billion litres, fall from 7.3 billion litres in 2018.

The top producers of global biofuel (both bioethanol and biodiesel) electricity productions were US, produced about 433 TWh electricity; the second producer was Brazil, produced about 276 TWh followed by Germany, UK and Mexico. In 1990, the biofuel electricity productions were only 72 TWh in Brazil, 18 TWh in US, whereas Germany, UK and Mexico's production were zero [ 73 ].

In Brazil and USA, a vast amount of land and higher technologies are existing for production of food crops and huge amount of raw materials for bioethanol such as sugarcane and corn [ 74 ]. In those countries, crop varieties either food crops or cash crops or fuel crops does not matter for land use purposes due to vast amount of land.

5.3.3. Biomass

Biomass is renewable organic substances that originate from animals and plants [ 75 ]. In other words, any organic substance prevailing in the environment, whether of plant or animal source, used instantly as firewood or fuel or changed into other methods earlier incineration is called biomass. It covers all varieties of biological resources from fuel wood to aquatic flora such as wood, forest residues, crops residue, vegetal residue, animal dung, rice husk, dead trees, branches, wood chips, and other marine plants [ 70 ].

In Bangladesh, the main biomass fuel that are used mainly by rural, remote and low-income people are wood fuels (mainly dead trees, branches, wood chips), agricultural residues (mainly rice husk) and animal dung (mainly cow dung). It is noted that, the urban as well as high income people are used LP gas (as piped or cylinder) for heating and cooking purposes. Over 94% of the rural Bangladeshi people practices traditional solid biomass for inefficient traditional cooking [ 31 ] that produce poisonous carbon oxide and particulate matters due to incomplete combustion which is the principal cause of breathing illness. The main victims are women and kids, since they are more exposed to indoor smoke, are three times more probable to hurt from chronic bronchitis or emphysema, than women who cook with gas or electricity. And the use of coal has doubled the risk of lung disease, mostly among women [ 76 ].

5.3.4. Biogas

Biogas is a mixture of gases in which CH 4 (40%-70%) and CO 2 (30%-60%) are dominant, along with H 2 O vapor (1%-5%), N 2 (0%-5%), and trace amounts of NH 3 , H 2 S and CO [ 1 , 3 , 77 , 78 ]. It can be produced from animal's manure (especially cow dung), plant element, or waste (both municipal and agricultural). Biogas plants produce gas along with fertilizer and fish feed as a byproduct, shown in Fig. 17 .

An outline of biogas generation and its uses. [Source: Created by the authors].

In many developing countries, biomass cook stoves and biogas cookers are popular now a days. According to REN21 [ 19 ], in Rwanda, about 30,000 cook stoves run by biomass have been given by the government. In South Africa, biomass briquettes and pellets replaced about 33% of the fuels used in clean cook stoves as of 2018. In 2018, about 15.5 billion cubic meters (BCM) of biogas were generated with the aim for cooking where China and India produced 13.1 BCM and 1.6 BCM respectively. At the same year, the demand for biogas for cooking increased in Bangladesh, Nepal and Vietnam. During 2014-2018, African countries like Burkina Faso, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Uganda increased almost 40% to around 46 million cubic meters (MCM) and about 70,000 biogas digesters were mounted in East Africa, benefiting 0.5 million people by clean cooking. Though, the demand for biogas for cooking decreased in China and India between 2014 and 2018.

5.4. Hydropower

The global electricity grid system depends on hydropower, one of many renewable energy sources [ 79 ]. The greatest noteworthy renewable electricity source in the planet is hydropower and perhaps it was the first renewable resource of energy in the globe [ 80 ]. Still now it is supplying the largest amount of renewable electricity of the global total since its beginning. Hydropower means making electricity from flowing water [ 81 ]. In most cases a dam is built across a large river and the water is simply sent through a hydroelectric power plant which generates electricity and put into the power lines.

5.4.1. Global hydropower scenario

In 2021, the world's total hydropower production capacity recorded to 1150 GW (44.44%), a major share of the world's entire capacity [ 19 ]. Although International Hydropower Association published around 1308 GW of the total generation of hydropower in 2019 which is contradictory from REN21 [ 39 ]. But both of the organizations publish the same report about the new addition capacity. Around 50 nations built new generation capacity which was added about 15.6 GW in the year 2019 [ 19 , 39 ].

Fig. 18 (a) displays the global top 10 countries of the total capacity of global hydropower generation in 2021 and Fig. 18 (b) displays the total new additions of global hydropower generation in 2021. China alone generated about 30%, the highest capacity whereas Brazil generated 9% of hydropower, the second highest capacity. Canada generated about 7% followed by United States 7%, India 4%, Russia 4%, Turkey 3%, Norway 3%, France 2%, and Japan 2%. The rest of the countries of the globe generated about 30%. China alone made up 20.6 GW), the highest capacity additions whereas Laos add 0.9 GW of hydropower. Bhutan added about 0.8 GW followed by Tajikistan 0.7 GW, Russia 0.5 GW, Turkey and Angola 0.5 GW each [ 19 ]. Uganda added 0.4 GW, followed by Ethiopia 0.3 GW. Fig. S4 shows the historical global hydropower installed capacity and new additions from 2015 to 2021 [ 19 , 30 , 82 ].

(a) Total capacity of global hydropower generation in 2021, top 10 countries [ 54 ]. (b) Total new additions of global hydropower generation in 2021, top 10 countries [ 54 ].

5.4.2. Present status of hydropower in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has limited potentiality for hydropower due to its nearly flat landscapes with the exception of specific hilly areas of northeastern and southeastern parts [ 83 ]. Especially, in southeastern hilly areas, the river Karnafuli, Shangu and Matamuhuri have a lot of tributaries along with several waterfalls having suitable options for installing of micro hydropower. The first private initiatives micro hydropower unit with a capacity of 10 kW has been mounted in Bandarban with a view to supplying electricity to a Buddhist Temple and a number of surrounding 140 households in the village community (55). BPDB has installed a micro-hydro plant having a capacity of 50 kW at Barkal, Rangamati in 2005 and a Mohamaya Hydro Power-cum-Irrigation Project with a capacity of 50 kW-70 kW at Mirersorai, Chittagong [ 84 ].

The Karnafuli Hydropower Plant of Kaptai Lake, having a capacity of 230 MW, is the only large hydropower project in Bangladesh. It's No.1 and 2 units (operation started in 1962) and No.3 unit (operation started in 1982) were installed with assistance from the United States. No. 4 and 5 units (operation started in 1987) were installed with support from Japan. With the intention of reinforce the peak demand power supply for, further, No. 6 and 7 units with a capacity of 100 MW were planned as Japanese Yen Loan Projects [ 20 , 36 ]. Besides, at the Sangu and the Matamuhury rivers, 6 km. downstream of existing Karnafuli Hydropower Plant, there are other potential locations of constructing hydropower plant with a capacity of 79 MW [ 20 , 65 ].

6. Future prospect of RE in Bangladesh

6.1. future prospect of solar energy in bangladesh.

Future infrastructure for generating and distributing electricity must include electric energy storage [ 85 ]. Bangladesh is situated in South Asia between 20°34′N to 26°38′N latitude and between 88°01′E to 92°41′E longitude which is a perfect location for solar energy utilization and storage [ [86] , [87] , [88] ]. Most of the time of the year sunshine is plentiful for harnessing solar power due to the geographical position of the country [ 89 ]. Fig. 19 depicts Bangladesh's solar power potential with geographic location.

Bangladesh's solar power potential with geographic location [ 90 ].

The geographical position of Bangladesh is favorable for harnessing solar energy because most of the time of the year sunlight is abundant (Hossain et al., 2017). Extreme solar emission takes place for the duration of March to April and the minimum radiation come about during December and January [ 2 ]. With cloud, rain, and fog excluded, Bangladesh has a significant quantity of solar energy available, ranging from 4.0 to 6.5 kWh/m2/day, and sunny daylight hours range from 6 to 9 h/day for about 300 days per year. This indicates that there is enough radiation to meet the need for solar energy requirement from sunlight [ 10 , 18 ]. Bangladesh has a very bright future for solar energy since the GoB has already started implementing various solar projects to provide electricity [ 91 ].

6.2. Future prospect of wind energy in Bangladesh

The USAID Bangladesh and the NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) partnered with the GoB have develop a national wind resource assessment in 2018, shown in Fig. S5 [ 65 ]. According to this assessment, the coastal areas of Chattogram, Barishal and Khulna divisions have wind speed of over 6 m/s at 120-m height, enough for producing wind electricity [ 92 ]. The onshore sites are restricted mostly in the southern part of the country that spread about more than 3200 sq. km. and offshore sites are spread within 50–120 km. of the coast. There are at least 150 GW wind power can be generated including 16 GW from onshore and 134 GW from offshore [ 93 ]. The map ( Fig. S5 ) also highlights the large area for offshore wind and relatively small area for onshore wind potential.

6.3. Future prospect of bioenergy in Bangladesh

6.3.1. future prospect of biomass to biopower in bangladesh.

The economy of Bangladesh primarily based on agriculture where rice is one of the chief crops and rice husk is plentiful in the country [ 94 ]. Bangladesh, an agricultural country, produces about 97.24 million tons of rice husk and holds the fourth position in global paddy rice production in the year of 2018–2019 whereas global rice husk production was 424.36 MT, shown in Fig. 20 [ 95 ]. These rice husk can be used to generate electricity by the conversion from rice husk to producer gas, then producer gas to mechanical energy to run generator for electricity generation. Furthermore, other valuable chemicals such as silica and calcium carbonate (for cement production) can also be produced from the byproducts of this process. In Bangladesh, primarily one biomass to electricity large project system is in running with a capacity of 0.4 MW since December 2015, in Thakurgaon district and the project is financed by IDCOL.

Global rice husk production in the year 2018–2019 [Authors creation based on [ 95 ]].

6.3.2. Future prospect of biofuel energy in Bangladesh

In contrast, Bangladesh has higher population and cost with limited land and technology for bioethanol production. It is noted that, density of population of Bangladesh is 3 times higher than nearby India and 36 times greater than United Sates [ 96 ]. Therefore, traditional bioethanol/biodiesel appears not feasible for the country. That's why, food production should prioritize than bioethanol/biodiesel production. According to PSMP (Division, 2016), it appears that if Bangladesh demands to follow the biofuel potential, algae technology for biodiesel would be the alternative. More comprehensive site survey is needed about this concern.

6.3.3. Future prospect of biomass in Bangladesh

Biomass, mainly trees (dead leaves, branches and wood chips), has been used as a traditional fuel source from the very beginning of civilization and served as a primary energy source before discovery of fossil fuel. Biomass is still the leading energy source basically for the rural, remote and low-income people of Bangladesh. Although burning of biomass are not ecofriendly, but there is no option without it till they become high income people. But, if the rural communities use biogas, it will improve combustion competence, reduce the poisonous substances and save time/money for collecting/purchasing solid biomass. In addition, if a biogas farm installs a digester, they can generate biogas for their self-consumption, and can sell the remaining gas to neighbor families. Moreover, cooking oil can also be produced from rice husk and cow dung can be used widely as a fertilizer/raw material of biogas.

6.3.4. Future prospect of biogas in Bangladesh

Fig. 21 displays the total population of poultry and livestock of Bangladesh. There are roughly 307.28 million of poultry and livestock populations, where 296 million are rearing in rural areas and 11.27 million are in urban areas. Among them, 189.26 million are poultry populations, 67.53 million are duck, 1.45 million are turkey, 28.49 million are cow, 0.38 million are buffalo, 19.29 million are goat and 0.89 million are sheep populations [ 97 ]. Every year the country produces 155.8 million ton (155, 820, 000 ton) of poultry and livestock dung [ 98 ] and major part of it change into unexploited and polluting environment [ 99 ].

(a) Urban population of poultry and livestock, (b) rural population of poultry and livestock, and (c) total population of poultry and livestock in Bangladesh. [Source: Created by the authors based on MoP [ 97 ] data].

The ideal temperature for anaerobic fermentation for biogas generation is around 25 °C – 45 °C with average of 35 °C. Bangladesh's average temperature ranges from 21.2 °C to 30.4 °C, indicate the highest prospective for biogas/bioenergy generation in the country and more than 70% of entire principal energy is provided by biomass mostly by wood and cultivated waste [ 100 ].

6.4. Future prospect of hydropower in Bangladesh

No recent studies on hydropower potential sites in Bangladesh have been found. Although BWDB and BPDB [ 101 , 102 ] implemented a collaborative study on micro-hydro power in Bangladesh and LGED [ 103 ] also compiled a list of suitable sites, shown in Table 2 and Table 3 .

Potential small hydro sites identified by BPDB and BWDB [ 71 , 88 , 101 , 102 ].

Potential Locations for Micro Hydropower in Hill districts [ 101 ] and Chittagong Hill Tracts [ 103 ].

The neighboring countries of Bangladesh, like Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and India, have huge hydropower prospective in near future. Although, Bangladesh has a limited potential for large hydropower plant, the cross-border power exchange could be the best option. Bangladesh can exploit regional hydropower prospective outside its border. According to PSMP, if cross-border imported hydropower is counted as hydropower, Bangladesh can import about 5000 MW hydropower mostly from neighboring countries by 2041 [ 35 ].

7. Renewable energy policy

By 2041, Bangladesh hopes to be a developed nation and is on track to become a middle-income country. Forecasts prior to the COVID-19 pandemic indicated rising national electricity demand as a result of expanding the economy and population. Bangladesh may diversify its energy mix, lower the risks posed by the erratic prices of fossil fuels, and lessen the detrimental environmental effects of thermal power generation by switching to renewable energy. The Bangladeshi government recognizes the significance of energy as a crucial precondition for reducing poverty and ensuring socioeconomic growth. Over the past few decades, the GoB has approved a number of policies and legal frameworks [ 104 ] in harmony with the vision of Article 16 of “The Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh,” which is to eliminate disparities in the living conditions of living between rural and urban areas through electrification and expansion, including:

The principal piece of legislation for environmental preservation is the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995 [ 105 ], which took effect in place of the previous environment pollution control ordinance of 1992. Through the use of renewable energy, this act placed an emphasis on the generation of clean power. The 1996 National Energy Policy (NEP) assures the best possible growth of renewable energy sources like solar energy, biogas, and biomass fuels. NEP has also suggested the creation of a Renewable Energy Development Agency in Bangladesh to hasten the development of renewable energy infrastructure (REDA). In order to put the Environment Conservation Act, 1995 into effect, the Environment Conservation Rules, 1997 (Amended 2002) propose a set of comprehensive regulations. This legal document also specified a list of projects that fell into the categories of Green, Orange-A, Orange-B, and Red in order to maintain environmental cleanliness. It also suggested adopting these projects by using renewable energy technologies to meet ambient standards for air, noise, and water pollution. The 2002 RE Policy of Bangladesh outlines the duties and funding of organizations that promote RE and affirms the imposition of oil taxes. Additionally, it will guarantee financial incentives for international investors operating in the renewable energy sector by remitting maximum 50% of the salaries of foreign nationals working in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Act, 2003 [ 106 ] authorized the energy price for a corporation if their capacity for generating RE is 5 MW or more in compliance with the Power Division of the Ministry of Power, Electricity, and Mineral Resources. In order to promote sustainable energy, the Renewable Energy Policy of Bangladesh, 2008 established Sustainable Energy Development Agency under the Companies Act, 1994. According to this policy, the government may start initiatives for the construction of infrastructure for renewable energy. Bangladesh's 2009 Renewable Energy Policy set a goal of producing 5% of its total consumable energy from renewable sources by 2015 and 10% by 2020.

To achieve its desired GDP growth rate of 7.3% in the Sixth Five-Year Plan, the Power Sector Master Plan (PSMP), 2010 [ 36 ], blends RE with traditional energy to transport power to the state energy infrastructure. The GDP of Bangladesh increased by 6.3% between 2011 and 2015. The SREDA is established by the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority Act, 2012 (Act No. 48 of 2012) [ 107 ], which establishes SREDA as the main regulatory body in charge of coordinating all initiatives and projects involving renewable and sustainable energy sources. Additionally, the act confirms Bangladesh's 2009 Renewable Energy Policy's aim for the generation of renewable energy. The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Rules, adopted in March 2015, set a goal for Bangladesh's generation of renewable energy of 15% by 2021 and 20% by 2030. The 2016 Power Sector Master Plan established a comprehensive plan for the development of energy and power, including strategies for the growth of renewable energy, energy balance, and pricing (PSMP). Additionally, PSMP 2016 developed a plan and regulations for using nuclear energy, started the process of creating feed-in-tariffs, and more. Bangladesh also expects to produce up to 2470 MW of local renewable energy by 2021 and 3864 MW by 2041 under this plan. Because without the efficient use of energy, no nation can support and sustain its development [ 108 ].

8. Discussion

In comparison to some of the other research in this field, this work has been fairly distinctive [ [26] , [27] , [28] ]. The authors of [ 27 , 28 , [109] , [110] , [111] ] focused their discussion on Bangladesh's prospects for renewable energy resources in a very concise manner. However, no comprehensive presentation of the findings was made. The authors of [ 112 , 113 ] limited their discussion to Bangladesh's solar integration. Only the hydropower integration in Bangladesh was covered by the authors in Ref. [ 114 ].

However, none of them have yet disclosed the specifics of continuing renewable development, such as renewable energy plants that have already been completed and running, those that are implementation ongoing phases, and those that are still under the planning stages, and their prospects for the future. In their publications, they all provided relatively brief analyses of the current state and potential developments in renewable energy. The uniqueness of this study is that it identifies the present status of ongoing renewable energy advancement in Bangladesh in terms of RE plants that have been completed and are already operating, plants that are currently being implemented, and projects that are still in the planning stage ( Table 1 ).

Even though the writers were able to identify challenges after reviewing the data and the accompanying documents, there were still some important problems that could not be resolved. The restriction was that the data were from official sources, but practically speaking, Bangladesh has more solar, wind, and bioenergy plants than some of the data indicate, and there were no records discovered to identify the discrepancies. In addition to this, this study does not address the challenges associated with RE installation. The old electrical power system in Bangladesh needs to be restructured in order to install these RE resources, with the creation of an electricity market that fosters competition and initiatives to guarantee energy efficiency in the context of environmental sustainability. In order to enable an effective, dependable, and responsible RE generation, transmission, and distribution system, these problems compelled electrical power corporations, governmental organizations, and the community to discover an appropriate solution.

Bangladesh, like other nations, has just recently begun to advance in renewable energy sector. The entrance levels and configurations, however, differ from those in other countries. There are still certain obstacles to developing renewable energy locally in Bangladesh, despite the existence of SREDA. The best strategy for increasing public awareness of RE is to create its popularity. As a result, holding a large number of research, training sessions, and seminars and approving the necessary funding will increase people's interest in using renewable energy rather than conventional electricity. Energy costs in the domestic sector can be reduced by educating women about the use of solar products.

Encouragement of research is crucial for achieving public procurement on RE and improving technological output, particularly when the government plans to localize renewable energies and their installation. Constrained explanations and advancements on novel technologies or procedures might shape civic perspectives, including public participation. Additionally, regional corporations, involving outside experts, design RE plants in Bangladesh. Even though such RE technology is implemented by the government and NGOs, information and public awareness are necessary to support progressive expansion for long-term aims and boost the prospects of raising in the RE sector in Bangladesh.

9. Conclusion

Bangladesh is experiencing an energy problem that is impeding the development of its own economy. Natural gas is used to generate around 47.91% of all electricity, but the gas supply will soon run out. The need for energy is rising, and almost 60% of its residents still suffer load shading. To meet demand in a sustainable manner, renewable energy can contribute significantly.

This review presents Bangladesh's current renewable energy situation and future prospects. According to the data presented, Bangladesh's renewable energy production is still in its infancy, but it has a promising future. In Bangladesh, renewable energy sources have the potential to produce a significant amount of electricity and close the supply-demand gap. Solar energy is practiced in varied forms in Bangladesh termed solar park, solar rooftop, solar irrigation, solar grid (minigrid, microgrid, picogrid and nanogrid), solar charging station, solar powered telecom BTS, solar home system, solar street light and solar drinking water. Strong summer winds in coastal areas can be crucial for supplying local wind energy with electricity. Already, biomass and biogas are supplying vast amounts of energy, particularly to Bangladesh's rural residents. In Bangladesh, there are roughly 307.28 million of poultry and livestock populations, where the country produces 155.82 million ton of poultry and livestock manure each year which would be the highest prospective for biogas/bioenergy generation in the country. In the hilly areas of the country, especially on the river Karnafuli, Shangu and Matamuhuri, have a lot of tributaries along with several waterfalls having suitable options for mounting of micro hydropower.

However, it is hoped that additional investments in the renewable sector will help Bangladesh meet its future energy needs. To strengthen its energy industry, Bangladesh must engage in forward-thinking planning, entice investment, and improve organizational effectiveness. So that, GoB should conscious regarding energy issues and need to reflect the visionary planning and attractive investment policy on RE in both public and private sector investment. It is noteworthy that in addition to energy production, Bangladesh also has to raise consumer knowledge and reduce electricity loss to conserve energy, which will ease the strain on the power supply.

Author contribution statement

All authors listed have significantly contributed to the development and the writing of this article.

Funding statement

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Data availability statement

Declaration of interest's statement.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority, MoPEMR, GoB who cordially provide the renewable data of Bangladesh. The authors are also thankful to International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA); Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (Ren21); International Hydropower Association (IHA); Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS); and Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) for providing yearly updated data.

Appendix A Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14308 .

Appendix A. Supplementary data

The following is/are the supplementary data to this article:

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The future of renewable energy in Bangladesh

Renewable energy (RE) comprises of energy from the sun (directly), usually called solar, biomass, wind, tidal, geothermal and hydro. The endowment of these resources will determine how much of each form of renewable energy source can be exploited in a country. For example, Bangladesh does not have geothermal potential and its hydro potential, especially that based on elevation, is small. Tidal is a new form of energy source that is yet to achieve commercialisation. It thus leaves solar, wind and biomass as the only current options. With regards to biomass, the principal problem is the high demand of agricultural and animal wastes for cooking in rural areas. Moreover, extracting too much organic matter in an unsustainable manner can lead to soil degradation. However, through the bio-gasification route, there exists significant potential, but that would require careful planning and management of the bioresources.

In the case of Bangladesh, the principal barriers with biomass are; the price is high and collecting large quantities is difficult, hence expensive. Wind has always been a problematic resource to evaluate in the context of Bangladesh. A group of experts believe that the wind potential in Bangladesh, especially onshore, is limited. The offshore potential is unknown, even though one does hear of unsubstantiated claims of huge potential. In financial terms, it is difficult to comment on this in the absence of comprehensive environmental and technical investment grade studies on offshore wind potential.

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Solar energy is the single most dependable RE resource that can be resourced on a large scale. This expectation is turning out to be true with local and foreign investments occurring in grid-tied utility scale solar parks and industrial rooftop projects. According to the Chairman of SREDA, more than 1,000 MW of utility scale solar parks and 500 MW of commercial/industrial rooftop solar PV projects under the net metering scheme are on the horizon.

According to the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), as of January 2022, Bangladesh had 22,066 MW of grid-connected installed capacity, the fuel wise breakdown of which is shown in Figure 1. RE consists of only 2.08 percent of the total installed capacity connected to the grid; half of that, i.e., 1.04 percent is hydropower, which has remained static in generation since 1967. The complete picture of RE deployment can be seen from Figure 2, which shows both on-grid and off-grid RE applications. A large portion of the claimed 543 MW solar power is off-grid solar, grid-tied solar parks only contributes 196 MW. It is worth pointing out that, as a result of the extension of rural electrification through the expansion of the grid, a large portion of the Solar PV Home Systems that brought so much fame to Bangladesh is lying idle. As expected, RE in Bangladesh is dominated by solar with other sources being very small in comparison.

It is clear that Bangladesh is struggling to increase the share of RE in its energy mix. The future of RE in Bangladesh also does not look very bright, unless the government takes steps to explore new and innovative ways of harnessing RE.

The single biggest barrier to the large-scale deployment of solar PV electricity is the acute shortage of land. The problem is more connected with the policy—total ban on use of agricultural land for solar projects—than land availability. In Bangladesh, land is very fragmented, and it is very difficult to find contiguous land to construct even a 50 MW solar park without encroaching onto agricultural land. Thus, instead of a total ban, a policy could be formulated that permits a certain amount of agricultural land; say 25 percent of the land of a single solar park, to a maximum of 200 acres per project.

The use of only one percent of the total agricultural land of Bangladesh can facilitate the construction of approximately 50,000 MW of solar power plants. Using the average capacity factor of 4.5 hours per day for Bangladesh, the electricity output from the one percent agricultural land is approximately 82,000 GWh, which is more than the total consumption in the year 2020. If the cost of fuel saved is compared with the output of even three-cropped land, the financial benefits will be more than five times. The lost agricultural output of the one percent land can be easily made up by preventing spoilage that occurs due to the lack of cold storages and other processing facilities.

Since land is very expensive in Bangladesh, dual use of land can make many solar projects viable. There are over 2.83 million hectares of low-lying land in Bangladesh (roughly 20 percent of the total area of the country). Using such low-lying land combined with fisheries is one such innovative solution. A 50 MW solar-fisheries project has been approved and project implementation is underway.

"Floatovoltaics" are photovoltaic (PV) solar power systems designed for floating on reservoirs, lakes, rivers, and other water bodies. Floating solar farms can generate huge amounts of electricity without using valuable land. Bangladesh, being a riverine country, is ideal for floatovoltaics deployment. A comprehensive study and pilot projects are required to harness this potential. Numerous lakes and reservoirs are under the jurisdiction of WASA can be developed as private-public joint venture projects.

There are many other innovative solar technologies being researched and commercially developed. One very promising technology for Bangladesh is "Agrivoltaics", where crops can be grown beneath the solar panels. A standard conventional solar panel is largely opaque to sunlight. Therefore, underneath the PV panels most crops will not grow. Panels require only a small portion of the solar bandwidth; therefore, technologies are being developed that can filter this for electricity production and pass through the infrared and ultraviolet rays needed by plants, i.e., a translucent/transparent solar panel. If this technology achieves full commercial application, the land constraint that Bangladesh is facing will be removed.

Electricity transmission network

Despite the fact that Bangladesh is a small country in terms of area; electricity grid coverage is very poor. Inexpensive land is invariably located far from the existing electricity infrastructure. The Bangladesh government needs to undertake a massive grid modernisation initiative. The carrying capacity of the national network of transmission lines needs to be made smart and expanded throughout the country. Being geographically small, no matter where the solar plant is located the grid should be able to deliver power anywhere in the country with minimal losses. With a smart, integrated transmission network connected regionally, the intermittent nature of renewable energy can be made more reliable and robust.

Solar PV electricity is already the cheapest source of electricity in many places, but it is only available when the sun is shining. To make solar PV electricity available at other times and make it a source that can truly replace fossil fuels, one has to store the electricity for later use. At the present time, the most promising technology is battery. BESS is one of several technology options that can enhance power system flexibility, reliability, and enable high levels of renewable energy integration. Due to technological innovations and improved manufacturing capacity, lithium-ion chemistries have experienced a steep price decline of over 70 percent from 2010-2016, and prices are projected to decline further.

Technological advancements and cost reduction

Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has presented the newest edition of their study on the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of renewable power plants as shown. Even though the information contained is applicable for Germany, where wind and solar are very cheap and coal is expensive because of a carbon tax, it nevertheless provides good indications of how renewables especially solar PV is gaining in cost advantage against conventional fuel-based electricity.

In Germany, the cost of electricity from Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT), the technology of choice in Bangladesh, is more than electricity from PV Utility Scale Battery. The average cost electricity from PV Utility Scale Battery in Bangladesh would be around Tk 15, which is nearly 100 percent more than in Germany, while electricity from LNG based CCGT would be approximately Tk 10.

At the present time, therefore, PV Utility Scale Battery is much more expensive than one of the cheaper electricity options for Bangladesh, but this 100 percent cost difference is expected to disappear by 2030, making solar electricity comparable in cost to any conventional electricity. Therefore, it is important to revise the country's Power System Master Plan (PSMP) and integrate solar options in a meaningful way by taking into consideration the fast-changing reality of utility scale solar power plants with storage.

The country experiences peak power demand on average 3 hours a day, i.e., from 7 PM to 10 PM. A BESS project may be designed such that during daytime when the sun shines it charges a battery pack and discharges the stored power at that time. That, this is a financially viable solution, can be verified from Figure 3; the cost of electricity for PV Battery is much lower than Gas Turbine. Therefore, the peaking Gas Turbine power plants (assuming those to be fired by LNG) and the oil-based (HFO and diesel) power plants can immediately be retired in favour of PV Battery power plants.

Bangladesh has announced bold plans around renewable energy adoption in COP26. The Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) talks about a target of 4,100 MW Renewable Energy by 2030. However, these plans would be hard to mobilise from a private sector perspective unless substantive changes to the grid and regulatory reforms are implemented. Numerous obstacles for RE companies in the private sector are hampering the widespread use of renewable energy. Some of the major challenges are enumerated below:

1. Lack of strategic direction: The RE sector in Bangladesh lacks a clear strategic direction in terms of setting targets from specific technologies. Shifting government priorities have seen some technologies (Solar Home Systems, Mini-grid) being hamstrung.Different competing energy sources and power systems are also shifting the government's focus from RE. Fuel Oil-based Quick Rental Power Plants from small independent power producers are still a major and costly portion of the power mix, and these need to be gradually phased out to make room for RE.

2. Failure of the early unsolicited utility-scale solar projects: The major points of contention were land availability and land acquisition, securing the Right of Way (ROW), and challenges surrounding grid-interconnection.

3. Lack of proper studies, bankable data, regulatory checklist in the wind energy sector: The private sector is exposed to a lot of risk in terms of acquiring reliable and authenticated data. There is a dearth of data in terms of land availability, substation load capacity, site specific data, etc.

4. Investor/lender interest surrounding uncertainties: Foreign investors/lenders are deterred over project timelines, interagency navigation, contract lock-ins (e.g., a local partner and their foreign partner need to be a part of the project for at least 6 years), and lack of clarity over various regulations.

5. Utility distribution companies' upgradation: The distribution utilities in its current state are inadequate to support mass RE adoption to serve the local electricity market.

The underlying problems are two-fold, first, in the infrastructure readiness and planning level, and second, in terms of capacity and preparedness of many local level offices.

Ijaz Hossain  is professor (Retired), Chemical Engineering Department, BUET.

Ishtiaq A Chisti is P.E., Energy Consultant.

বুয়েটে মধ্যরাতে ছাত্রলীগের প্রবেশ: দ্বিতীয়দিনের মতো শিক্ষার্থীদের বিক্ষোভ

শনিবার সকাল ৮টা থেকে বুয়েটের শহীদ মিনারের সামনের রাস্তায় জড়ো হয়ে এ বিক্ষোভ শুরু করেন বুয়েটের বিভিন্ন ব্যাচের শিক্ষার্থীরা।

লালমনিরহাটে বিএসএফের গুলিতে এক বাংলাদেশি নিহত

A brief review on renewable and sustainable energy resources in Bangladesh

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The main sources of electricity generation in Bangladesh are natural gas (71.82%), furnace oil (13.25%), diesel (0.20%), coal (4.16%), and renewable energy sources (1.23%).

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Development of Sustainable Renewable Energy Power Generation

The objective of the Project is to reduce the annual growth rate of GHG emissions from the fossil fuel-based power generation by exploiting Bangladesh’s renewable energy resources for electricity generation.  The basic approach of the Project will be to promote renewable energy in Bangladesh through the recently established Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA). For Bangladesh to achieve a greater share of renewable energy (RE) in its energy mix, the Project will support activities that will (i) transform SREDA into a strong RE project facilitation center to bring confidence to private RE investors and increase the number of approved RE projects; (ii) increase the capacities of appropriate government agencies to generate, process, obtain and disseminate reliable RE resource information for use by potential project developers and investors; (iii) increase the affordability of photo-voltaic solar lanterns (PVSLs) for low income households by supporting pilot PVSL diffusion activities; and (iv) increase the share of RE in Bangladesh’s power mix through facilitating the financing, implementation and operation of pilot (RE) energy projects using rice husk and solar panels. The lessons learned from the pilot plants will be utilized to scale-up the dissemination of PVSLs and investment in on-grid RE projects and RE technologies.

Development of Sustainable Renewable Energy Power Generation (SREPGen) Project has 4 major components: Component 1: Policy support and capacity building to bring confidence to private RE investors; and to increase the number of approved RE projects Component 2: Resource Assessment Support Program to increase capacities of relevant government agencies to generate, process, obtain and disseminate reliable RE resource information Component 3: To support diffusion of affordable PV power and other RE technology solution for low-income households and associated livelihood enhancement Component 4: Renewable energy investment scale-up to support for an increased share of Bangladesh’s power generation mix.

Reduction in the annual growth rate of GHG emissions from fossil fuel-fired power generation through the exploitation of Bangladesh’s renewable energy resources for power generation Specific Objective 1: Cumulative direct and indirect CO2 emission reductions by end of project (EOP) resulting from project RE technical assistance and investments, Mtons CO2 Specific Objective 2: MW of RE power generation in Bangladesh, including on and off grid

Related Materials

Annual Report 2015

Annual Progress Report 2014

AWP_2020_SREPGen

Project Document

Annual Workplan 2019/20

Budget 2017/18

SREPGen MTR Report - Nov 12 2017 - final

SREPGen - Environmental and Social Screening

ITB-BD-2018-007; Supply, Installation and Commissioning of Solar Irradiance Monitoring System by Automatic Sun Tracker for Data Transmission and Management for SrepGen Project

RFP for Development of Solar PV Based Boat in Bangladesh.

RFP-BD-2017-019- Hiring a firm for Imparting Trainings and Organizing Workshops at Different Ecologically Critical Areas of Sylhet-Moulvibazar and Cox?s Bazaar Districts

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TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS

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2016 $3,256

2017 $123,316

2018 $384,359

2019 $839,646

2020 $1,113,852

2021 $510,807

2022 $1,057,124

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Alternative Energy & Power 2023

Trends and developments.

Farooq and Associates is among the top law firms in Bangladesh, where it has developed a leading practice in the power sector. The firm is very familiar with the processing and implementation of power projects, and has a deep understanding of the regulatory landscape, project agreements, as well as decision-making processes in the power sector in Bangladesh. Farooq and Associates aspires to assist foreign investors in making secure and sustainable investments, and to assist local partners in negotiating strong and well-balanced legal relationships and contracts with foreign investors. The firm values transparency and open dialogue, and aims to exercise meticulous diligence in formulating advice that is precisely calibrated for cross-border transactions. The team of 25 lawyers is mainly based in Dhaka, Bangladesh and is involved in various ongoing thermal and renewable power projects in different capacities, including the first wind-power project and waste-to-energy power projects in Bangladesh.

Introduction

Bangladesh has experienced significant economic growth and development over the past two decades. Alongside the economic growth, there has also been a rapid rise in energy consumption. This trend is expected to intensify further in the upcoming years to cater to the dynamic fast-growing market in Bangladesh as it strives to become a high-income country by 2041.

Energy and power are key ingredients for alleviating poverty and improving the socio-economic conditions in any country. The government of Bangladesh has given top priority to development of the power sector, considering its importance in the overall development of the Bangladesh economy and has set the goal of providing electricity to all citizens in Bangladesh by 2041.

As the power sector is a highly capital-intensive industry, huge investments are required to generate additional capacity. Competing demands on the government’s resources and declining levels of external assistance from multilateral and bilateral donor agencies have constrained the potential for public investment in the power sector. Recognising these trends, the government of Bangladesh amended its existing industrial policies and approved the “Private Sector Power Generation Policy of Bangladesh” in October 1996, which was then revised in November 2004 to enable and encourage the flow of private investment into the power sector. The government of Bangladesh has also introduced a wide array of facilities and attractive incentive policies to encourage investment in the power sector.

Based on the liberal investment regime, Bangladesh has been successful in attracting domestic and foreign investment in the power sector, enabling remarkable progress to be made.

Transition to Renewables

The government of Bangladesh recognises that there is a major transition underway in the energy sector worldwide and Bangladesh is yet to achieve efficient utilisation of renewable energy resources. Recognising these trends, the government adopted the Renewable Energy Policy 2008 to enable, encourage and facilitate both public and private sector investment in renewable energy projects.

Bangladesh’s installed renewable energy capacity (including on-grid and off-grid) at present is approximately 1,200 MW with solar making up approximately 950 MW and hydropower producing approximately 230 MW. The remainder is produced by wind, biogas and biomass.

Solar Power Projects

At present, solar power dominates the renewable energy mix in Bangladesh.

Through the Infrastructure Development Company Limited, the government of Bangladesh has partnered with the World Bank and other development partners to implement the Solar Home System (SHS) programme, so as to provide clean and affordable electricity to communities in far-flung areas. As a result of the SHS programme, there have been developments in off-grid rooftop solar power, which has provided access to electricity to a large number of people living in rather remote off-grid locations. The contribution is approximately 260 MW, which is expected to increase further in the future.

There has also been rapid installation of rooftop solar systems in Bangladesh, which is expected to play a vital role in decarbonising the energy sector. To encourage this further, the government of Bangladesh promulgated the Net Metering Guidelines 2018, whereby electricity consumers are able to export any additional electricity generated by the solar system installed at their premises to the distribution grid network, after self-consumption. This has now seemingly become a popular choice for industries to minimise their electricity costs.

The contribution of SHS and the rooftop solar systems in the context of national power demand and generation is, however, insignificant. The government has awarded a number of grid-tied solar power projects over the last decade but only a handful of them have materialised. The largest solar project in the country, the 200 MW solar park in Sundarganj, Gaibandha achieved commercial operations in January 2023. Another 100 MW solar park in Mongla Upazila, Bagerhat became a commercial operation in 2021. The rest are smaller-scale projects.

Challenges in solar power projects

The major challenge faced in implementing grid-tied solar power projects is the inadequacy of the land, as approximately three acres of land is required for the generation of one megawatt of power. As per the direction of the government, no agricultural land can be used for power projects, including solar power projects, and since Bangladesh is a densely populated, fertile agricultural country, non-agricultural unused land is not easily available. Private investors initially struggle to identify a suitable parcel of land and once that has been identified, they struggle to acquire clean title over the earmarked land. Price negotiations between land owners and land aggregators are usually prolonged and sometimes even retracted at the whim of the land owners, resulting in a prolonged pause in the development of the project.

The government is considering implementing a couple of projects where a government entity would lease land to the private sector for the construction of solar power projects. One such project is located in Kushtia, Bangladesh where the government entity, the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority, has appointed International Finance Corporation (IFC) as its transaction adviser. During the feasibility study, IFC advised that the tariff is expected to be much lower if land owned by the government is used for the project, as the private partner would not have to bear the risk of acquiring the land.

However, considering that land is a scarce resource in Bangladesh, a major technological breakthrough is required to increase the number of solar projects in the country.

Hydro-power Projects

There is only one hydro-power generation facility in Kaptai, Bangladesh, which generates 230 MW. There is, however, a cross-border deal being negotiated at present whereby hydro-power of approximately 40–50 MW will be exported from Nepal to Bangladesh.

Other Renewable Power Projects

Bangladesh is largely untapped with respect to other renewables like wind, biogas and biomass. The first large wind-power project of approximately 66 MW capacity located in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh became a commercial operation in May 2023. There are a few other wind projects in the planning and implementation stage.

The government has also signed agreements with private investors for waste-to-power projects, the commercial operation of which is expected to be achieved in 2024. Successful implementation of these waste-to-power projects will diversify the country’s renewable energy sources and also help to manage waste.

The transition to clean energy will play an active role in promoting economic development, saving energy and reducing emissions, as well as protecting the environment in Bangladesh.

Developments in Fiscal Incentives

Local and foreign investors are keen to invest in the power industry in Bangladesh, mainly because of the various tax incentives granted by the government. From mid-2013 up until the beginning of 2020, private power-generation companies enjoyed exemption from corporate income tax for a flat period of 15 years, commencing from their respective commercial operations dates.

However, in 2020 the government took a different stance when it decided that power-generation companies that became commercial operations by 31 December 2022 would be eligible for exemption from corporate income taxes for a period commencing from their respective commercial operations dates up until 31 December 2034. This meant that a company achieving commercial operations status in December 2022 would only be entitled to income tax exemption for 12 years.

The stakeholders in the power industry were truly concerned in the six-month period between December 2022 and June 2023 when the above exemption was not extended to private generation companies achieving commercial operations after 31 December 2022. There was a lot of speculation as to whether the government would extend the timeline or whether private generation companies would now have to change their financial models to take into account the next available incentive. The next available incentive was an exemption from income tax at truncated rates for a period of ten years.

To everyone’s relief, the government has now passed a new order whereby power-generation companies that achieve commercial operations before 31 December 2024 will be eligible for exemption from corporate income taxes for a period commencing from their respective commercial operations date up until 31 December 2036, and those who achieve commercial operations before 31 December 2025 will be eligible for exemption from income tax at truncated rates for a period of ten years.

The initial 15-year tax exemption was used by the government as a tool to promote investment in the power sector to meet the goal of providing electricity to all citizens in Bangladesh. Recent developments in the income tax incentives indicate that the government is now shortening the exemption period and there may be no further exemption for private power-generation companies who achieve commercial operations in or after the year 2026. The government is now more prone to revenue collection to meet other economic goals of the country. 

Developments in Transmission Lines

The Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Limited (PGCB) is the sole transmission company in Bangladesh. Previously, the interconnection line from the power-generation facility to the nearest substation was implemented by PGCB. However, in recent times, the private partner has been made responsible for the construction of the interconnecting line, including the arrangement of the necessary land and any right of way.

These changes arise from the government’s and PGCB’s decision to allocate the risk of construction of the interconnection line and its operation and maintenance to private power-generation companies. The cost and risk of construction of the interconnection facilities is not expected to be a serious problem, but the obligation on the private power-generation companies to procure the right of way is a concern.

Pursuant to the Electricity Act 2018, the power-generation company reserves the right-of-way over the land and the space above or underground, for the purpose of laying power supply lines or doing civil works, subject to certain terms and conditions. This includes payment of a compensation amount to the person affected if any damage, harm or inconvenience is caused while doing civil works. The government promulgated the Electricity Rules in 2020, which provide further details on the notification requirements and compensation mechanism with respect to right of way. The Electricity Rules also outline the procedure to be followed for acquisition of the land on which the tower is to be installed.

In the absence of these express provisions, power-generation companies were struggling to construct these interconnection lines, which resulted in an overall delay in the implementation of projects. The new rules have been issued to assist the project company, but only time will tell to what extent they will resolve the existing issues.

Recent Impediments

The Bangladesh economy has been facing considerable challenges with global economic uncertainty, rising inflationary pressure, dwindling foreign exchange reserves and fuel shortage. The country also faced disruptions to electricity supply due to erratic weather this year, with soaring temperatures pushing up demand in April and a deadly cyclone cutting off supplies of natural gas to power plants the following month. These resulted in frequent power cuts during April and May 2023.

However, the government of Bangladesh is giving top priority to the power sector and is exploring alternative ways to meet the soaring demand for electricity. The situation had already improved in June 2023, when power cuts were significantly reduced.

The government of Bangladesh wants to increase the share of power generation from renewable sources to 40% of the production mix by 2050. With the ongoing initiatives and strategies, Bangladesh is expected to attract further investment in the power sector, mainly the renewables sector, on which it can build a sustainable future.

Farooq and Associates

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Bangladesh takes baby steps towards climate-friendly just transition

Coal workers are seen at a market as they unload a ferry in Dhaka, Bangladesh, January 13, 2019. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain

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From adopting clean energy in garment factories to helping coastal migrants settle in cities, the South Asian nation has a way to go in planning a greener, fairer future

By Naimul Karim

Dec 24 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - As Bangladesh prepares to release a new five-year national power plan early next year, researchers are urging the government to boost clean energy and pursue policies that would help secure a green and socially just transition for the South Asian nation.

Today, only about 3.5% of the country's power comes from renewable sources, a figure the government plans to increase to 40% over the next two decades. But climate activists say it lacks the comprehensive approach needed to achieve that goal.

The South Asian nation now depends on natural gas for more than half of its power, while a further 8% comes from coal - a percentage that is set to rise in the coming years if plans to build new coal-fired plants are implemented.

That would be incompatible with the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit planetary heating - and could put the low-lying nation at higher risk of climate change impacts such as rising seas, environmentalists argue.

Under the Paris accord, close to 200 countries agreed to slash emissions to keep global temperature rise "well below" 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial times and ideally to 1.5C.

But the planet has already warmed about 1.1C since then and is projected to heat up by 2.4C even if current targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 are met, scientists say.

Bangladesh's emissions are minimal compared to developed nations, but if it rolls out plans to build new coal plants, it will likely miss its climate goals, while adding unsustainable energy infrastructure and jobs, activists warn.

Governments at last month's COP26 climate summit backed the need for a "just transition" approach, including efforts to secure workers’ rights and livelihoods as economies shift to greener production to tackle climate change.

Here's a look at where Bangladesh has got to with planning a "just transition" for its people:

How popular is the concept in Bangladesh?

The term "just transition" has recently made its way into national policy and labour discussions. But many workers and factory owners may be unaware of the term, researchers say.

A number of policy initiatives suggest Bangladesh is committed to ramping up green energy. Earlier this year, for example, it cancelled plans to build 10 new coal-power plants.

But according to the government website, it is still working to add eight others , most of which are under construction.

The "Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan", launched this year and presented at COP26, focuses on low-carbon growth.

But the real-world impact of such policies is not yet visible despite the government's publicly stated aim of boosting wind and solar energy, said Khondaker Golam Moazzem, research director at the Dhaka-based Center for Policy Dialogue.

"There is a gap between the political commitment and the bureaucratic process," he added.

He pointed to growing interest in using more Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), which emits lower levels of carbon dioxide than coal but is still a planet-heating fossil fuel.

Officials say Bangladesh's carbon emissions are very low compared with other countries, and the steps it is taking are necessary for economic growth and development.

Which Bangladeshi industries are focused on just transition?

Apart from small steps in the Bangladesh garment industry, the world's second largest clothes exporter, the principles of a just transition are rarely being applied, researchers say.

About 140 out of at least 2,000 garment factories that export clothing are certified by LEED, a U.S.-based ratings system for green buildings.

Those factories are putting solar panels on their rooftops, seeking new ways to recycle water and chemicals, and using more energy-efficient machines.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) in June told the Thomson Reuters Foundation it had helped 338 factories cut their greenhouse gas emissions by more than half a million tonnes a year - equal to removing over 119,000 cars from the road.

Such reforms are crucial because the apparel industry produces 4% of the world's planet-warming emissions, equal to the combined annual total of France, Germany and Britain, according to a 2020 study by the nonprofit Global Fashion Agenda and consultants McKinsey and Company.

But greener factories and clean energy require more capital investment, owners say, raising questions about how such a shift will impact Bangladesh's 4 million garment workers.

Some bosses believe new energy-efficient machines could make a share of workers redundant. But others say the industry is not suited to high levels of automation as fashion changes fast.

Some argue a green energy switch could benefit workers by making factories more labour-friendly and reducing physical tasks.

There is also likely to be a focus on how to protect workers' rights and jobs in the shipbreaking sector , as the government has ordered yard-owners to clean up their practices by 2023 and implement standards in the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships.

That pact, adopted in 2009 but yet to come into force globally, aims to improve worker safety and limit pollution, but could also reduce the need for labour as yards deploy more high-tech equipment to help meet requirements.

Can Bangladesh secure a just transition for climate migrants?

Home to at least 160 million people, Bangladesh is regarded as one of the countries most at risk as the planet warms, bringing worsening storms and floods.

Migration to escape encroaching oceans in Bangladesh's coastal regions could drive at least 1.3 million people from their homes by 2050, the American Geophysical Union, a nonprofit international scientific group, warned in April.

Today, most migrants from coastal areas end up in city slums where they get informal support from relatives and work in dangerous conditions, including factories lacking proper safety measures or permits.

Researchers believe that to manage future flows of people, job opportunities should be created in towns away from overcrowded cities like Dhaka and Chattogram that suffer from poor sanitation and housing.

Tasneem Siddiqui, who set up the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit, called for "more innovative" use of money intended to help communities adapt to climate change, which is currently used mainly for things like developing crops that are resistant to salt or can grow under water.

"For true adaptation, we need to have proper plans that make cities more migrant-friendly and develop rural areas," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation earlier this year.

She called for a just transition for the migrant labour force and planning for decent work and new green jobs by bringing together officials, trade unions and employers' groups.

Mizan Khan, deputy director at Bangladesh's International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD), said "small farmers, fishermen and women" forced from their homes in coastal areas by river erosion and floods would need the most support.

Who needs to be involved in implementing a just transition?

The International Labour Organization (ILO), which is working on a just transition for Bangladesh's garment industry, believes solutions need to come from within the sector.

Cristina Martinez, a senior ILO specialist on environment and decent work in Asia, said climate action and just transition processes could lead to many opportunities in Bangladesh.

"But they will not come from outside - these opportunities need to be planned for and the momentum is there for working in partnerships with many actors that share the urgency to act," she said by email.

Khan of the ICCCAD noted the concept of "just transition" has only recently entered the national conversation - and more focus is needed to turn it into a reality on the ground.

At local level, the work must be led by communities who are on the frontline of adapting to climate change, he added.

New funding for developing nations' coal exit needs better planning for workers

Bangladeshi women try on rare leadership roles for a fairer fashion future

Bangladesh climate migrants escape rising seas only to die in factory fire

(Reporting by Naimul Karim @Naimonthefield; Editing by Megan Rowling. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers the lives of people around the world who struggle to live freely or fairly. Visit http://news.trust.org)

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Growing with Bangladesh: From Fossil Fuel to Alternative Energy Sources

Energy is a key indicator of a developing nation's overall industrial as well as economic and social development. With the meteoric rise of the metropolis and improved municipal plans, Bangladesh is also having thousands of ongoing and incoming development projects coupled with the prospective energy surge. The mechanical process of development including transportation, industrial, real states, residential and commercial projects stakes for power-hungry energy consumption.

The majority of these development projects use petroleum and gas in Bangladesh. Additionally, the Bangladesh Government has two major footsteps to make by 2021: Middle-Income country with electricity for all. This surge of development requires addressing infrastructural development requiring again massive energy resource. This is causing a rapid depletion of the global mineral core. If the global consumption continues at the current rate, energy & minerals will be completely depleted by 2088; when oil, gas, and coal will run out respectively by 2051, 2061 and 2081.

Other than a moderate natural gas reserve, Bangladesh has a little hold of oil and coal. However, like many countries, Bangladesh shares the growing concern of fossil fuel depletion at an alarming rate. Along with this, global warming has taken Bangladesh to an inflection point. Again, the continuation of off-grid power supply with uninterrupted industrialization requires secured energy flow regardless of source or provision.

This paradoxical situation requires addressing one pivotal topic: the required energy source of Bangladesh . Should Bangladesh be moving towards alternative energy sources and if yes, how far it has come? This further generates another question: what can be the ideal energy mix?

Fossil Fuels

Petroleum is one of the most demanding yet impoverished energy sector in Bangladesh. Each year, Bangladesh imports more than five million tonnes of oil. In 2016, for example, the government plans to import 13 lakh tonnes of crude oil worth 553 million dollars, putting inflationary pressure on the economy. The latest and only oil field in Sylhet amounts to only 153 million barrels. This reserve once drilled, will meet the current demand at the current consumption rate only for 2 years.

Although there is a sizeable gas stock in Bangladesh, if the current extraction rate continues, this reserve will dry up by 2031. On the other hand, Bangladesh hit an energy mother lode when it won 20,000 square kilometers of natural-gas-rich water line from India in a U.N. territorial arbitration in July 2014. However, this might not bear fruit immediately. However, the area is highly expensive to excavate and the Bangladesh government has shown little interest in spending on immediate energy infrastructure. Two bidders from Indian and U.S energy corporations have knocked PetroBangla to operate in this 200 trillion cubic feet gas reserve area. Once ran, this largest supply in the Asia-Pacific will take Bangladesh to a whole new level.

The coal sector in Bangladesh occupies only 2% of total energy generation as of 2015. The Power Sector Master Plan (PSTM 2010) targets above 50% of total generation (21.71% from imported and 29.07% from domestic coal) by 2021. The ambitious shift is easily justifiable. The explored regions with coal potential hold an estimated 3 billion tonnes reserve which can serve energy demand for 50 years, considering 15% system loss during extraction. However, principal barriers for such operation are technical and environmentally friendly mining methods. These barriers even make the proposed 30 projects and plants on hold or inoperable at least before 2019.

These depleting mediums raise the need for a secondary energy source. Considering the present energy mix vs. plan for LNG, Coal, renewable & EE sector, we have a very promising prospect for investment. However, for a feasible alternative source, we have two options: nuclear energy and renewable energy.

Secondary Energy Sources

The nuclear energy source is still a newborn in Bangladesh. The only project is the proposed Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, with dual stations (1,200 MWe ~ 3,000 MWth). Although the technical assistance will come from Russian Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation, the installation cost is projected to be a budget overrun (12.65 billion dollars excluding a 4% interest rate). The flat-out project is also high in risk profile in terms of technical complexity and maintenance. Such a Russian contract in other countries had proved to be time and cost overdue. In Iran, for example, a German-Russian contact took 39 years (1974-2013) to install a 1,000 MWe VVER plant. Started by following a wishy-washy approach about public consultation, this project if installed by the targeted timeframe, will be operational after 2023. So Nuclear energy is not an immediate answer for a secondary energy source.

This leaves us with another choice: renewable energy. This energy source, however, is still nascent in Bangladesh. The total energy source although primarily depends on conventional energy sources, Renewable Energy Policy 2009 of Bangladesh targets 5% of total energy production to be achieved by 2015 and 10% by 2020, while the share of Renewable Energy exceeds only 1% till now.

Although Bangladesh is crisscrossed with many rivers, there are very few torrential rivers to house hydroelectric plants. Karnaphuli Power Station is the only plant in Bangladesh that generates 230 MW of electricity. As Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) offer Mountain Rivers with a strong current, more hydroelectric plants can be initiated in this region to mitigate the demanding electricity gap. A Power Cell supervised study also suggests two rivers from this area: the Sangu River with a potential of 58.33 MW and the Matamuhuri River with 20.83MW power. With a target to increase the capacity, the Bangladesh government also plans to invest 1 billion USD to install a hydro-electricity power company. Aside from electricity generation, this plant will be able to import electricity from hydropower plants from high altitude countries, i.e., Bhutan and Nepal.

A coastline supply of renewable energy can be the wind source. Due to wind energy’s limited circulation to off-shore islands, riverine and other inland open areas with a strong wind regime, the southern part of Bangladesh can be brought under this source. To generate electricity from wind energy, Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has installed a total of 1,900 kW grid capacity at Feni and Kutubdia island. Another 50-200 MW at Parky Beach is under planning.

The most promising renewable source can be solar energy. With an ambitious plan of being the world’s ‘first solar nation’. Bangladesh Solar and Renewable Energy Association (BSREA) is assisting the Bangladeshi government to provide electricity to all by 2021. Side by side, Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) initiated Solar Home System (SHS) program in 2003 and till 2016 it has installed solar power in 4.5 million households, reaching 18 million people. Through this SHS program and similar utility-scale applications, the government targets to achieve ‘Vision 2021’ with 1.7GW of solar capacity.

But transition is not always easy. Bangladesh’s historic milieu makes the process more difficult. Nevertheless, mass consideration and public policy landscape are changing. The move towards alternative energy is coming from other directions as well. Although lately adopted, people are moving from oil-run vehicles to muscle-pulled two-wheelers. These riders, most of whom are young people, are terming bicycles “ride for the environment” as an eponym. This growing consciousness is enabling less use of depleting energy and saving the environment.

To save the ardent electricity crisis, the Rural Electrification Board (REB) introduced the “Efficient Lighting Initiatives of Bangladesh (ELIB)” program in early 2009. Under this project, people from 1,400 rural and urban households voluntarily brought in their incandescent bulbs to exchange with new Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs). On June 19th, 2010, this project hit a world record of collectively installing about five million energy-saving CFL bulbs.

What can Bangladesh do?

As much as we talk about green energy and 100% renewable energy, we cannot shift overnight nor can Bangladesh depend on a single source of energy – at least not yet. As both renewable and non-renewable sources have their limitations, it is best to use different sources with maximum strength in their respective usage areas.

• Gas being the primary energy source, the uncharted area in the Bay of Bengal can be the best option for the exploration of further reserve. If the massive energy mother lode is extracted, alongside meeting indigenous demand, Bangladesh can start energy trading and presumably be the Asian Energy Superpower.
• The majority of the potential Micro-Hydro sites in Bangladesh are located in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). However, establishing micro-hydro units requires the utilization of hydropower and indigenous technical capabilities to utilize the existing momentums. The government should decentralize the micro-hydro units with local implementation and management. These planned hydroelectricity and micro-hydro projects will be another source to overcome the chronic load-shedding problem in CHT. Additionally, the self-reliance and the use of local resources will have a notable impact on the development of remote tribal areas.
• Energy need for shoreline areas in southern Bangladesh can be covered by adopting wind power. The geographical spread may be from Feni to Cox’s Bazar. Natural disasters in coastal areas and over and under the speed of wind are two major problems for wind power. The government should proceed for proper wind speed calculation and wind mapping.
• Off-grid and rural areas are the most suitable options for solar power applications. This potential power source can mitigate the under-addressed areas when natural gas and coal power can be solely used for industrialization purposes and city needs. But it is difficult for Bangladesh to implement a grid-connected solar system as it will create disturbance in the current network of PGCB because of the unpredictability of the power. Mega disturbance, battery replacement issues, power shortage, and outage are some of the technical obstacles to install mega RE plants in Bangladesh. As the solar is subjected to sunlight, there will be no power at night which will create a sudden shortage.
• Land scarcity is a major obstacle for both solar and wind power plant installation. Hence, a trade-off between land for cultivable crop and RE plants is a critical decision for the government.
• The absence of a tariff structure is another major barrier for both technology types which discourages the private investors to invest in the uncertain nature of wind and power energy. To address this case, private investment for the RE plants should follow a competitive bidding process, i.e., instrument competitive business model.

If adopted, these recommendations can serve as a reference point for future roadmaps of the national energy mix. The first world countries are experimenting with unorthodox forms of renewable energy for sustainable growth and eco-friendly potential. A developing country like Bangladesh should at least adopt the mainstream technologies of renewable energy after careful analysis of the national energy mix.

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Paper Information

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Journal Information

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Energy and Power

p-ISSN: 2163-159X    e-ISSN: 2163-1603

2018;  8(1): 1-6

doi:10.5923/j.ep.20180801.01

The Prospect of Renewable Energy Resources in Bangladesh: A Study to Achieve the National Power Demand

Shariful Islam Sharif , Md. Anisur Rahman Anik , Md. Al-Amin , Md. Abu Bakr Siddique

Dept. of EEE, IUBAT-Intl. Uni. of Bus. Agri. and Tech., Uttara Model Town, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Copyright © 2018 Scientific & Academic Publishing. All Rights Reserved.

This paper reviews the prospects of available renewable energy resources along with various private and government future project plans to incorporate renewable energy sources and their potentials as per context of Bangladesh. According to the approved renewable energy policy, the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) is devoted to facilitating investment in both public and private sectors in renewable energy projects to substitute contemporaneous non-renewable energy resources and to escalate the contributions of renewable energy based electricity generation. A plan has been initiated by the GOB to generate 5% of the total energy from renewable energy resources within 2015 and 20% by the year 2020. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the present condition of renewable energy resources in Bangladesh and hence, different types of renewable energies are discussed from global perspective to achieve a clear perception about solving the power crisis issues in Bangladesh with this sustainable approach.

Keywords: Renewable energy, Power sector, Solar energy, Biomass energy, Biogas energy, Wind energy, Hydro energy, Government, Resources

Cite this paper: Shariful Islam Sharif, Md. Anisur Rahman Anik, Md. Al-Amin, Md. Abu Bakr Siddique, The Prospect of Renewable Energy Resources in Bangladesh: A Study to Achieve the National Power Demand, Energy and Power , Vol. 8 No. 1, 2018, pp. 1-6. doi: 10.5923/j.ep.20180801.01.

Article Outline

1. introduction, 2. present electricity generation situation in bangladesh, 3. renewable energy prospects in bangladesh, 4. renewable energy sources in bangladesh, 4.2. wind power, 4.3. biomass energy, 4.4. biogas energy, 4.5. hydro power, 4.6. geothermal energy, 4.7. tidal power, 4.8. ocean wave energy, 5. calculation of total power, 6. global scenario of renewable energy, 7. conclusions, acknowledgements.

Modeling Approach for Hybrid Integration of Renewable Energy Sources with Vehicle-to-Grid Technology 14-13-02-0013

This also appears in sae international journal of electrified vehicles-v133-14ej.

This article presents a technical study on the integration of hybrid renewable energy sources (RES) with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, aiming to enhance energy efficiency, grid stability, and mitigating power imbalances. The growing adoption of RES and electric vehicles (EV) necessitates innovative solutions to mitigate intermittency and optimize resource utilization. The study’s primary objective is to design and analyze a hybrid distribution generation system encompassing solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind power stations, along with a conventional diesel generator, connected to the utility grid. A V2G system is strategically embedded within the microgrid to facilitate bidirectional power exchange between EV and the grid. Methodologically, MATLAB/Simulink ® 2021a is employed to simulate the system’s performance over one day. This research addresses a critical research gap in comprehensively evaluating the synergy between hybrid RES and V2G technology within a microgrid context. The study contributes by demonstrating the potential of EVs as dynamic energy storage units, effectively mitigating the intermittency of renewable energy (RE) and supporting grid stability. This is achieved by injecting or absorbing energy to address frequency deviation events and improve power flow based on demand needs and generated power from the source. The results highlight the capability of the V2G system to optimize energy flow, regulate grid frequency, and alleviate power imbalances. Main findings underscore the significant role of V2G in enhancing grid resilience and flexibility, especially during RE fluctuations and unexpected events. Moreover, the study underscores the feasibility of achieving sustainable energy goals through the coordinated operation of hybrid RES and V2G systems.

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News from the Columbia Climate School

Summer 2024 Climate School Internship Opportunities

Yana Zeltser

Adrienne Day

The Climate School is offering internship opportunities for diverse administration and communications roles with sustainability-related projects. Current full-time Columbia and Barnard students (undergraduate, graduate, and PhD) are eligible to apply. 

Summer internships are paid at a rate of $22/hour. The maximum possible funding is for 260 hours (or 20 hours/week for 13 weeks) and the internship period runs June 1 – August 31. Students must be available to start on or about June 1st. Students hires are required to be within commuting distance during their summer employment at Columbia and must make their own housing arrangements.

The application deadline is Sunday, April 7 at 11:30 pm ET. Decisions will be made shortly after the deadline.

Read the full position descriptions below carefully for specific requirements for each position. To apply, visit the application here . While you may apply for more than one position, you must submit separate applications for each. To apply for multiple positions, return to the form after you submit it to select another position.

For each position application, you will need to submit your cover letter and resume combined into a single file.

Contact Yana Zeltser ([email protected]) with questions.

The Summer 2024 Internship positions include:

• Advancing Land Based Investment Governance (undergraduate, graduate)
• Climate School-WE ACT Thriving Community Technical Assistance Center Program (undergraduate, graduate, PhD)
• Communicating Climate Science and Impacts of Environmental Stressors on Vulnerable Ecosystems and Communities (graduate)
• Coordinating Indigenous and NGO participation in climate negotiations (undergraduate, graduate, PhD)
• DEI + Sustainability Summer Fellowship Project (graduate)
• Institutional Partnerships (undergraduate)

Internship Position Descriptions:

1. Project Title: Advancing Land Based Investment Governance Student type desired: undergraduate, graduate Department/Program: Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment Project Objectives : Under the Advancing Land Based Investment Governance (ALIGN) consortium, CCSI and two partner organizations provide responsive technical support to governments, civil society, local communities and Indigenous Peoples in strengthening national policy on land-based investments. The project responds to concerns that land-based investments (including renewable energy investments) are often seen as critical to advancing sustainable development though may also contribute to dispossession, environmental degradation, and conflict. ALIGN activities are under way in multiple countries across Sub-Saharan African and the Asia-Pacific. Thematic foci include land rights, climate change, and energy transition policy. Anticipated Tasks :  1) Tracking web and social media content related to ALIGN activities to support responsiveness to dynamic legal and policy landscapes and inform ALIGN strategy development. 2) Developing twitter and website content on ALIGN projects; social media content has proved valuable in reaching target government and private sector stakeholders. 3) Supporting communication and efficiency across consortium and external partner organizations through developing and updating project tracking spreadsheets and note-taking in meetings. Proposed benefits of this project to the intern: The intern will have the opportunity to learn from external partners in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia about the environmental and human rights concerns surrounding land-based investments, as well as about public sector efforts to improve investment governance. The intern will develop social media, written communication, stakeholder engagement and organizational skills as well as their attention to detail. They will learn about responsible land-based investment, investment governance, and community and Peoples’ rights in the context of resource investments, and cross-cutting areas including the just transition. Networking opportunities with CCSI staff and fellow interns will be available. Skills Required:   Strong attention to detail, excellent written communication skills, strong organizational and interpersonal skills, knowledge or experience of issues relating to land-based investment governance, community and Peoples’ rights, climate change, the energy transition and cross-cutting themes would be preferred but is not required. French is a plus. 2. Project Title: Climate School-WE ACT Thriving Community Technical Assistance Center Program Student type desired: undergraduate, graduate, PhD Department/Program: Columbia Climate School

Project Objectives : Interns will support the Columbia Climate School-WE ACT Thriving Community Technical Assistance Center Program team. The Region 2: WE ACT TCTAC serves New York and New Jersey and aims to help underserved communities gain access to grant and funding opportunities so that they’re better positioned to advance and address environmental, climate, and energy justice issues. We (members of the TCTAC) offer training and technical assistance to build capacity for navigating grant application systems, writing strong grant proposals, effectively managing grants, and engaging in environmental and energy justice decision-making. As part of this team, the selected individual will support the following administrative efforts Anticipated Tasks :  1) Coordinating Technical Assistance requests; Track participant data; Collate data to provide program progress reports. 2) Identify and meet with potential technical assistance providers. 3) The intern will also support TCTAC Steering Committee Meetings and working groups including a) Set up meeting agendas, b) Note-taking, c) Coordinate follow up. 4) The intern will might also provide logistical support with a) In-person and virtual trainings, b) Community tours through our NY and NJ, c) WE ACT TCTAC cohort events Examples of key functions during placement may include: Supporting strategic partnership development, Assessing the impact of WE ACT TCTAC on disadvantaged communities, and Helping to develop content for internal and external outreach efforts. Benefits of this project to the intern: The intern will gain experience working with environmental justice and community-based organizations, strengthen data collection and organizational skills, and work collaboratively with a project team of members from diverse backgrounds (university staff, NGOs, CBOs, etc.)

Skills Required:   Excellent organizational skills, good people skills, some knowledge of and interest in environmental or climate justice (preferably courses taken or previous work experience). Students who are passionate and interested in environmental justice. 3. Project Title: Communicating Climate Science and Impacts of Environmental Stressors on Vulnerable Ecosystems and Communities Student type desired: graduate Department/Program: Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory Project Objectives : 1) Improve understanding on how climate change stressors (sea level rise, increasing temperature, eutrophication, hypoxia) impact ecological processes in vulnerable coastal environments, and communicate results to coastal communities, including underserved populations. 2)  Improve understanding on impacts of extreme events (intense storms, floods, droughts) on coastal ecosystems, habitat, and communities. 3) Improve understanding on why climate change is an environmental justice issue. 4) Capture and integrate input from local communities into our research. 5) Bridge and translate science to policy, decision makers, and the public. 6) Examine human-ecosystem interactions in urban coastal systems. Anticipated Tasks :  1) Develop web content relevant to this project 2) Develop social media content 3) Write blogs and essays 4) Interview project participants, collaborators and stakeholders involved in this project 5) Assist with development of short videos/recordings Benefits of this project to the intern:

Through this project, the intern will learn about the impact of climate change and extreme events on coastal ecological processes and ecosystem stressors. Through involvement in all phases of the project, the intern will have the opportunity to broaden the knowledge obtained in courses, become familiar with current literature on climate change and impacts on coastal ecology, biodiversity, coastal communities and water resources, and develop skills in communication of findings. They will also gain experience in working both independently and cooperatively with a diverse group of people, and understanding and applying writing/communications methods, ethics and conduct rules.

Skills Required:  

Creativity; Critical thinking and problem-solving; Initiative; Organizational Skills; Strong background and interest in climate change, environmental sciences and social science; Effective oral and written communication skills (e.g., essays, blogs, interviews); Experience with various social media and communication platforms (e.g., YouTube, Instagram); Experience with web content development (e.g., story maps); Teamwork and collaboration skills

4. Project Title: Coordinating Indigenous and NGO participation in climate negotiations Student type desired: undergraduate, graduate, PhD Department/Program : Columbia Climate School Project Objectives : This project seeks to expand the participation of Indigenous Peoples with two groups involved in the UNFCCC negotiations: an NGO, the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (iccinet.org), and a high-level group of nations, Ambition on Melting Ice (ambitionmeltingice.org), which includes a number of countries (Nepal, Chile, Peru, Tanzania) with substantial Indigenous populations. These two organizations press for climate action to address ice loss and sea level rise; though there is some Indigenous involvement through the Inuit Circumpolar Council (inuitcircumpolar.org) around sea ice, Indigenous engagement could be greatly expanded in regions of mountain glaciers and permafrost. Anticipated Tasks : 

1) The intern will coordinate with Indigenous organizations, such as the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (lcipp.unfccc.int) and national organizations, as well as with the two groups above.

2) They will track activities around cryosphere, mountain and permafrost issues within the UNFCCC processes and Indigenous Peoples organizations.

3) They will assemble case studies of effective adaptation and mitigation activities that involve full just partnerships between Indigenous Peoples and other organizations.

4) They will assist in preparing notes and documents leading up to COP29 in Azerbaijan, and support the development of the International Year of Glacier Protextion (2025) announced by UNESCO, and will prepare posts on this efforts for the GlacierHub within the Climate School website State of the Planet (news.climate.columbia.edu/features/GlacierHub).

Benefits of this project to the intern: The intern will gain knowledge and experience of international climate negotiations, learn the challenges and opportunities of promoting engagement of marginalized communities, and develop skills in locating and analyzing assessment and policy documents. The intern will also produce posts for State of the Planet which will have their byline and permanent URLs. Skills Required:   Familiarity with climate policy, climate science and impacts, and climate justice; Strong skills in managing documents and references; Writing skills for drafting documents and reports; Experience in related areas of climate justice preferred; International experience preferred.

5. Project Title: DEI + Sustainability Summer Fellowship Project Student type desired: graduate Department/Program: SUMA & Columbia Climate School Project Objectives : This project aims to strengthen DEI efforts and initiatives within the Sustainability graduate programs and Climate School partner programs. Students will engage in a variety of activities and work that highlights the close connectivity of DEI and Sustainability. This project will involve developing curriculum and programming that bring equity-centered perspectives on sustainability, integrate environmental justice knowledge, and enable students to deeply engage with social justice issues. In conjunction with offices and people throughout the network, this project will provide fellows with a high-level overview of strategy, planning, and development in DEI + Sustainability spaces. Anticipated Tasks :  This project aims to center DEI advancements with student feedback and development, EMPHASIS ON STUDENTS. Students will help develop workshops, skills seminars, course curriculum, and future DEI Initiatives for the Sustainability Programs, partner programs, and beyond. Students will brainstorm and build relationships with program administrations, Climate School & SPS leaders, and entities across the Columbia network. Students will also engage in the broadness of DEI + Sustainability, working individually and collectively, to craft presentations and resources to aid in marketing and recruitment for the programs. Students will also contribute to website and social media updates. Benefits of this project to the intern: Student will gain skills and competencies in DEI planning. Student will partner with SUMA administrators, faculty, and other campus leaders on their DEI efforts. Students will gain a better understanding of the strategy and development behind DEI Programming. Students will also gain valuable experience in working in higher education administration and leadership. Students will develop transferable skills that will be valuable, no matter the desired career path. Students will provide support for projects of the Sustainability Graduate Programs and on broader equity efforts at Columbia and in the surrounding community. Skills Required:   Interest in DEI work; Interest in Higher Education Administration; Sustainability Emphasis; Computer Skills; Public Speaking and Presentation Skills; Community Engagement; Be Available for In-Person & Virtual. 6. Project Title: Institutional Partnerships Student type desired: undergraduate Department/Program: Columbia Climate School, Office of Development Project Objectives : The Summer Intern will contribute to the following summer projects: 1) Continue to develop and refine the Climate School’s first development database of institutional funders and prospects. 2) Prepare Materials for Strategy Sessions and Pipeline Meetings 3) Prospect Research Anticipated Tasks :  Picking up where our previous intern left off, the new summer intern will continue to build and refine the development database. They will source and compile publicly available contact information on prospects and funders to the School to support the creation of an actionable database. The intern will also work closely to support the team in the preparation of presentation materials (slide decks, summary documents, agendas); take meeting notes and then synthesize and distribute them to meeting participants. Lastly, they will contribute to the development of prospect briefings for Climate School. Benefits of this project to the intern: The student will get an inside view of how the Climate School raises funding from the climate philanthropy sector, primarily foundations and corporations. The student will learn about key global funding priorities for the climate sector and how the Columbia Climate School’s education, research, and impact objectives match to these areas of giving. The student will uplevel their ability to use AI to efficiently and effectively accomplish routine tasks such as prospect briefings and create compelling PPTs. Skills Required:   Intern should have strong English language writing and project management skills; facility with Microsoft 365 platform, Google workspace, and LinkedIn. A familiarity with customer relationship management (CRM) databases is preferred, but not essential. Prior experience using ChatGPT, BardAI, or other generative AI models is most welcome. The intern should possess a curiosity for what drives philanthropic engagement in the climate sector, specifically towards an academic institution like the Columbia Climate School.

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