Sunday, July 27, 2008
[BANGLA-IT] Bangladesh Coal has potentials to generate 15000mw power in 20 years
Coal has potentials to generate 15,000mw power in 20 years
M Azizur Rahman
The country's electricity generation might be augmented to 15,000 megawatts, over three folds the level of the current generation, by next two decades if coal resources are properly utilised, officials said.
"Despite the dwindling gas supply across the country, the coal deposits have the potentials to generate over 15,000 megawatts (MW) electricity in next 15-20 years and ensure energy security," Chief Adviser's Special Assistant professor M Tamim told the FE.
He said: "what we need is to take appropriate decision to extract coal from the underground to ensure its utilisation."
Tamim, also an energy expert, made this comment following his last week's remark to stop providing natural gas connection to new gas-fired power plants due to dwindling supply of the natural fuel.
The country is now currently reeling under acute gas crisis having a shortfall of at least 200 million cubic feet (mmcf) gas per day and the demand is mounting as many industrial units and power plants are not getting required gas.
Due to dwindling gas supply the country's power plants are now getting 620 mmcfd of gas on an average against the demand for 850 mmcfd.
The energy ministry has already informed its inability to supply gas to eight planned large and medium power plant projects having the generation capacity of total 1,700MW electricity.
Electricity generation of around 700 MW is also being hampered in different units of gas-fired power plants across the country due to gas supply crunch.
Energy ministry officials said Bangladesh has 2.5 billion tonnes of proven coal reserves, equivalent to 60 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas, in five coalmines in the northern region.
But electricity generation from coal-fired power plant is only around 250 MW, less than five per cent of the country's total electricity generations of around 3500 MW.
Whereas coal-fired power generation is 92 per cent of the total in South Africa, 79 per cent in Australia, 78 per cent in China, 49 per cent in Germany, 69 per cent in India and 50 per cent in the USA.
Over 80 per cent of Bangladesh's power plants are now run by natural gas and the remaining 20 per cent by hydro, coal and liquid fuel.
Despite having enormous potentials the country's coal sector has long been un-tapped due to politicising of the issue for years, professor M Tamim lamented.
"It is the consensus among the political parties in taking up necessary decision and action programmes to ensure utilisation of coal resources," he said categorically.
He said discussions should take place among the political parties, and decisions based on pragmatic visions should be taken shortly.
Otherwise, the country's future energy security will be in jeopardy, he cautioned.
Currently the government has a vision to make electricity available for all by 2020 when the country's total demand would be 17,800 MW.
"To reach that level Bangladesh needs to increase electricity generation every year by 1000 MW," a power ministry official said.
But with the declining trend in gas supply ensuring the augmented electricity supply would be a far cry if coal were not extracted properly, he said.
http://bd-it.blogspot.com/2008/07/bangla-it-bangladesh-coal-has.html