Bangladesh could meet all its electricity needs with solar power: study

Bangladesh has the potential to generate enough solar energy to meet its entire electricity requirement, contrary to the land scarcity myth, as the country’s undeveloped Khas lands, rooftops, water bodies and arable lands can be used to produce significant amounts of solar energy, according to with research results.

The study was conducted by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) and the Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network (CLEAN).

The findings were presented today at a roundtable titled “Renewable Energy: A Sustainable Path for Bangladesh”, jointly organised by The Business Standard (TBS) and BELA, moderated by Zahid Newaz Khan, Head of Digital at TBS.

Presenting the keynote speech, Hasan Mehedi, CEO of CLEAN, said: “The amount of space needed to produce 100% of Bangladesh’s electricity from renewable sources is almost double the current demand. By using specific portions of Khas land, water bodies and rooftops, the country can meet its entire electricity needs from renewable sources.”

“While 207,294 acres of space are required to generate 100% renewable energy, 402,617 acres are currently available,” he said.

BELA and CLEAN studies, based on GIS maps, show that out of over 34.21 lakh acres of Khas land in 61 districts, about 4.03 lakh acres remains unallocated. On an average, 38.74% of this land, or about 1.11 lakh acres, can be used for ground-mounted solar PV systems that will have the capacity to generate at least 45,690.23 MW of electricity.

The study shows that Chattogram division has the highest potential with a capacity of 12,271.08 MW, while Sylhet can contribute 1,500 MW.

Moreover, Bangladesh’s rooftops cover a total area of ​​4,712 million square meters. Using just 10% of this area, or 471 million square meters, could generate at least 46,644 MW of rooftop solar energy. The Dhaka unit alone could generate 10,779 MW and Barishal would add another 2,982 MW.

According to the study, utilisation of 10% of permanent water bodies, or 63,286.83 acre-feet, could generate at least 21,877 MW. Dhaka again leads with 5,985 MW, while Rangpur offers a minimum of 1,087 MW.

According to the draft Integrated Energy and Power Master Plan, Bangladesh’s power demand is expected to reach 32,659 MW in 2025 and 84,858 MW in 2050. The government has committed to achieving 10% renewable energy share by 2025 and 100% by 2050 as outlined in the 8th Five Year Plan, Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), Vision 2041 and Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan.

Agrivoltaics, which involves combining agriculture and solar energy generation, can also make a significant contribution.

Bangladesh has about 11.78 acres of Khas farmland, of which 11% is used for vegetable farming (1.30 lakh acres). This land could support 18,099 MW of agrivoltaics, with Rajshahi division leading with 2,640.38 MW and Khulna at the low end with 1,783.80 MW, as per the results.

Former director general of energy cells in the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources BD Rahmatullah said the cost of building a fossil fuel-fired power plant is Tk 1,300 crore per 100 MW, while the cost of renewable energy plants is Tk 600-Tk700 crore.

He emphasized the economic and technical profitability of using renewable energy, despite the lack of political and administrative will.

Dr Fahmida Khatun, executive director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said a significant portion of the state budget is allocated to the energy sector but not specifically to renewable energy.

She emphasized that the policies adopted in terms of energy generation will have a major impact on the economy. Rising fuel prices on the international market lead to higher electricity prices in the country, but price reductions are not reflected in the local market, illustrating shortcomings in the energy management system, she added.

Zakir Hossain Khan, CEO of Change Initiative, called for an action plan on energy production and management of renewable energy.

He suggested imposing a carbon tax of 5% to 10% on fossil fuel imports, which could generate annual revenue of Tk 2,060 to Tk 4,120 crore. Additionally, a 5% pollution tax on companies contributing to plastic production, brick kilns, construction, water extraction and forest clearing could generate Tk 2,900 crore, he said.

Zakir Hossain argued that eliminating import tariffs on renewable energy components could significantly boost the sector as a 10% carbon tax alone could generate $0.9 billion.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Chief Executive Officer of BELA, stressed the urgent need to pass the Renewable Energy Act in Bangladesh. She called for analyzing the laws and policies of various countries and drafting a bill tailored to the current realities of Bangladesh for consideration by the government.

Dipal Barua, founder and president of Bright Green Energy Foundation, and a renewable energy specialist and councillor at World Future Council, said, “I think the government needs to pass a Renewable Energy Act to facilitate the growth of the renewable energy sector.”

Mohammad Rashedul Alam, deputy director of the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA), said: “We need to explore the area for generating solar, wind and other renewable energy sources.”

Other participants in the roundtable included Dr. Sebastian Groh, CEO and Co-Founder, SOLshare; Lutfor Rahman, Executive Director and CEO, GreenTech Foundation; Gouranga Nandi, Chairman, CEPR; Sheikh Monowar Ahmed, Head of Business, Rahimafrooz; Nawazul Mawla, Energy Governance Coordinator, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB); and many others.