Bangladesh is planning to import solar power from India taking advantage of the time zone between the two countries.
Prime Minister’s Energy Adviser Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury has said that the Bangladesh government has already initiated a move to import solar power from India taking advantage of the difference in time zone.
“Here is an opportunity. Here I see electricity being generated from sunshine and there is darkness out there. So, it’s a question of taking this electricity from here to there,” said Dr. Chowdhury. “It’s a good use of spare capacity and it’s a good use for us so that we have less of our own peaking plants. It’s a bit of a technical challenge for transmitting it over great distance but the engineers must be able to solve it,” he added. He said this while moderating a seminar on “New Technologies: Innovations in Power and Energy” at the International Convention City Bashundhara in Dhaka recently.
The seminar was also addressed by Chief Technical Officer of Tata Power Dr Arul Shanmugasundram, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Mytrah Energy Vikram Shah, Chief Executive Officer of Hero Future Energies Sunil Jain, Managing Director of Rahimafrooz Munawar Moin and Sreda Chairman Helal Uddin.
The proposal to import solar power from the neighbour, comes in the backdrop of India’s solar power tariff touching a record low of Rs. 2.44 per unit in May 2017. India has committed to generate 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022 to curb its carbon emission.
Tawfi-e-Elahi urged the researchers and university students to come up with technological innovations to make energy sector more efficient. Munawar Moin said Bangladesh must move towards generating hundred percent power from renewable energy by 2050 as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina recognised Maracas Declaration that has set this target globally.
He said the government should make development plan focusing on rural areas instead of urban-focused one to improve people’s livelihood.
