PM pledges support for waste-to-fuel project

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday pledged his government’s support for a project to convert human and kitchen waste, sewage sludge and agricultural residues into fuel oil, with a view to commercial production.
The prime minister gave the assurance after watching a demonstration of the technology at his office in Tejgaon, Dhaka. The project was presented by researcher Professor Dr Md Khalekuzzaman of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET).
A team of researchers led by Khalekuzzaman briefed the prime minister on the technology, the progress of their research and the prospects for producing fuel oil commercially from organic waste.
The prime minister reviewed the project’s various aspects, including its potential and implementation plan, and assured the researchers of his government’s full support, according to a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The researchers said they had made significant progress in producing bio-crude oil from waste using hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) technology, following a decade of research.
Laboratory tests showed a bio-crude oil yield of 50%-55% from organic waste, the researchers told the prime minister, describing the result as a promising development in the country’s waste-to-fuel sector.
They also reported success in producing diesel-rich bio-crude oil from the waste. The next step is to establish a pilot plant capable of processing one to three tonnes of waste a day.

The pilot project, estimated to cost Tk100-120 crore, will be used to assess the technology’s effectiveness, production costs and commercial viability.
If successfully scaled up, the technology could potentially replace 10–15% of imported crude oil, the researchers said. They estimated that this could save foreign currency worth Tk6,500–13,000 crore annually.
However, they stressed that the technology’s performance on a larger scale and its economic viability would need to be verified before the project could be implemented commercially.
The researchers expressed optimism that the initiative could help meet domestic fuel demand while addressing the country’s waste management challenges.
Successful implementation could also reduce dependence on imported fuel, conserve foreign currency, curb environmental pollution and support the development of the domestic energy industry, they said.
Power and Energy Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku, State Minister Aninda Islam Amit, University Grants Commission member for Public Management Professor Dr Abdullah-Al-Mamun, KUET Vice-Chancellor Professor Muhammad Masud and Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation Chairman Dr Md Rafiqul Islam were among those present at the event.