Govt aggressively pursuing rooftop solar: Energy minister

Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku said on Tuesday the government was “aggressively pursuing rooftop solar” with a target of generating 10,000MW of solar power.

“We have introduced investment-friendly policies and a five-year tax holiday for this purpose,” he said.

He made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled “Energy Sector Crisis: Prospects and Ways Forward” at Samson H Chowdhury Hall of Dhaka Club in the capital. The Forum for Energy Reporters Bangladesh (FERB) organised the seminar.

The minister said private investment in rooftop solar would be encouraged through cluster-based and OPEX models across the country, starting from Dhaka.

“The government will not invest directly in this sector,” he added.

Regarding coal-fired power plants, the minister said the government was considering building more such plants but would have to proceed cautiously as international financing for coal projects was declining.

He said the government was also formulating a policy to allow the private sector, alongside state-owned entities, to engage in the import and marketing of fuel oil.

The energy minister said progress had been made in discussions with Malaysian state-owned company Petronas on utilising gas from Bhola.

“A delegation has returned after a visit, and the government is very optimistic about joint work,” he said.

Regarding the gas shortage in industries, the minister said an initiative would be taken to hold a meeting involving the prime minister, industrialists and experts to prevent losses in the industrial sector.

He said a proposal to use LPG as an alternative to gas in industries would be approved quickly if it proved helpful.

He also said he planned to visit Houston in the United States to attract foreign investors to offshore oil and gas exploration tenders.

During the panel discussion, Independent University Bangladesh Vice-Chancellor Prof M Tamim said the country needed to reduce its dependence on BAPEX and increase the use of advanced technologies in deep and mature gas fields through international companies.

Shamsul Alam, energy adviser to the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), called for “revolutionary changes” in the power and energy sectors and rational pricing.

East Coast Group Chairman Azam J Chowdhury proposed developing Matarbari as a regional energy hub and urged the government to remove policy uncertainty and engage the private sector.

David Hasnat, president of the Bangladesh Independent Power Producers Association (BIPPA), said around 7,000MW of power generation was being disrupted due to the gas shortage. He stressed the need for rapid infrastructure development and greater use of domestic coal.

The seminar was chaired by FERB Chairman M Azizur Rahman, while its Executive Director Serajul Islam Siraj delivered the welcome address. Representatives of various business organisations and the energy sector attended the event.