Sep 12, 2024
| Staff Correspondent
Civil society members, particularly green activists, on Thursday announced their expectation from the chief adviser — a set of 16 reformation in the power and energy sector.
The green campaigners sought a moratorium on the use of coal and that the Integrated Energy Power Master Plan be amended to drop from the plan the idea of building more coal-based power plants.
The citizens’ demands were announced at a press conference in the morning organised by Bangladesh Working Group on Ecology and Development at Dhaka Reporters Unity.
‘Reluctance in adopting knowledge-based policies has been observed for long. Now is the time to step out of the stance and prioritize knowledge in making policy decisions,’ said Khondaker Golam Moazzem, research director, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD). He called for dismantling the syndicate reigning over the power and energy sector. He advised that future laws and rules would seek to serve the interest of the people based on scientific knowledge instead of serving vested interests as happened in the past.
Green activists also demanded that the government move away from liquified natural gas that costs Bangladesh $450,000 a day for the two LNG terminals leading to an annual loss of Tk 30,380 crore.
The proposal to install the third LNG terminal worth $3 billion made by the Summit should also be cancelled, the green activists said, urging the government to shift its focus from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
The activists also demanded that the government do not rely much on the unproven and false technologies such as carbon capture and storage and ammonia co-firing.
The 26 per cent to 56 pc tax imposed on the import of renewable energy appliances should also be withdrawn, the activists said, advising the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority to create a dedicated wing for renewable energy projects.
The repeal of the Quick Energy Supply Enhancement Act was also demanded in the press conference.
‘The promise of lessening reliance on fossil fuels was never implemented. The decision of building more gas-based power plants despite 51 per cent of the current gas capacity remaining unused is simply unacceptable,’ said Hasan Mehedi, member secretary, BWGED.
The green activists at the press conference also asked the government to immediately initiate the power and energy sector reformation.