Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

Mr. Chairman,

Colleagues,

Excellencies,

Distinguished Guests and Participants,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Assalamu Alaikum.

I am happy to be present here at this timely and important workshop on Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy organized by the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources. Meeting the increasing energy needs is a necessary condition to attain a high growth rate. We need to work on both the demand and supply side if we are to meet this increasing demand for energy. National workshops like this are expected to generate awareness and help devise strategies not only to meet the current demand-supply gap in energy, but also to ensure future energy security.

Promotion of energy conservation and renewable energy technologies has become a global trend in recent years due to phenomenal increase in price of petroleum products, more awareness about the impact of global warming cum climate change, and fast depletion of natural resources across the world. Bangladesh can not be an exception to this global trend.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Energy conservation is considered as the fifth fuel: a complement to coal, natural gas, hydro-power and nuclear energy. It reduces investment needs in new exploration and generation and thereby saves valuable resources. It also reduces environmental pollution. We can increase conservation of energy through standardisation of our equipment and appliances and promotion of energy-efficient technologies.

The Power Division is presently preparing a draft Energy Conservation Act. The Act will include necessary provisions in the Building Code for ensuring efficient use and conservation of energy in building complexes. These provisions would include shading of building from sunlight, use of energy-efficient air-conditioner/cooler, usage of efficient insulation materials, use of energy-efficient lights and installation of energy-efficient appliances.

Generally, we are a frugal nation showing regard for optimum use of resources. We recycle many things in our daily lives. I, therefore, would like to make an appeal to everyone to extend such behaviour in the use of scarce energy resources, avoid wastage of gas and electricity, use energy-efficient lights, apply energy-saving technologies in industries and utilise renewable energy resources such as solar and wind energy.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As you know, Bangladesh does not have sufficient hydro potentials because of her topography. Our wind potentials are also yet to be properly assessed. However, we have been blessed with adequate sunlight throughout the year. The Government has therefore undertaken several programmes for off-grid electrification through solar home systems. The Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) along with Grameen Shakti and several NGOs/MFIs, Rural Electrification Board, Power Development Board and Local Government Engineering Department are working for the promotion of Solar Home Systems in remote rural areas of Bangladesh. So far, more than 250 thousand Solar Home Systems have been installed. The Government should set up a vision of providing 1 million Solar Home Systems by the year 2012. I suggest that we set for ourselves a stretch target.

We have been providing grants, soft loans and technical assistance for the promotion of Solar Home Systems through various implementing agencies. We have reduced the import duty on Solar Panels from 5 percent to 3 percent. We greatly appreciate the generous support provided by donors like the World Bank and German KfW, and the efforts made by the implementing agencies, NGOs and grassroots organizations in the implementation of a successful Solar Home Systems programme in Bangladesh. We should now focus on other applications of solar energy, such as water heating, water pumping for irrigation and street lighting.

For generating wind power, Bangladesh Power Development Board has already installed 1.9 megawatt of wind turbine near Feni and Kutubdia. We should be actively considering exploitation and usage of maximum wind potentials available in the country for electricity generation.

The Government has also set up a 250 kilowatt rice-husk based power plant in Gazipur through IDCOL. It is estimated that we have potentials for about 300 megawatt of electricity from rice-husk. We are also implementing a National Domestic Biogas and Manure programme through IDCOL and its partner organizations. A total of 60 thousand domestic biogas plants will be installed under this programme. It will reduce the use of firewood and cow dung for cooking purposes and help increase fertility of our soil. Can we scale this up? That’s the challenge.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our government is now considering adoption of a comprehensive Renewable Energy Policy. I hope that this will pave the way for removal of barriers and promotion of renewable energy technologies in Bangladesh.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Many countries have already made significant headway in conservation and renewable energy projects, countries with levels of income much higher than Bangladesh. These success stories of our neighbours as well as in many other countries of Asia, Europe and Africa gives us confidence that we can also emerge successful.

I shall conclude my comments with a couple of personal experiences. I was in the USA in the early 1970s during the time of the first oil-shock. I witnessed and experienced myself how the USA responded with conservation measures on several fronts. It was winter. The thermostats in the university libraries were lowered and kept at 58 degree Fahrenheit; people were asked to reduce the number of light bulbs in a room; people began to think about energy-saving bulbs; policies and programmes were adopted to discourage and replace large energy consuming vehicles, machines and appliances, restriction on petrol consumption in cars was introduced by allowing only cars with numbers to get petrol on odd dates, and cars with even numbers on even days. Greater attention was focused on alternative sources of energy. In summary, conservation became a strategy to deal with the rising oil prices.

Energy-saving and renewable energy technologies have become more affordable today. Let us adopt programmes and policies to use such technologies extensively. Le us develop a personal habit of conservation in our daily lives. Let us resolve not to waste our resources, individually and collectively.

I hope that this workshop will come up with new and innovative ideas for promoting energy conservation and use of renewable energy in the country. The government will certainly give due consideration to the recommendations emerging from this discourse. With these words, I hereby declare open this national workshop on energy conservation and renewable energy programmes and wish it all success.

Thank you all.

Allah Hafez.