Table 4. Yearly solar-sources production capacity of Bangladesh
[24].
Year |
Installed Capacity (MW) |
Table 5. Renewable energy share with production capacity of Bangladesh
[25].
].
Technology Name | Installed Capacity (MW) |
Share |
Installed Capacity (MW) |
Till 18 January 2023 |
Expected Energy Generation (GWh) |
CO2 Emission Reduction (ktCO2) |
2022 |
54.1185 |
Coal |
1768 |
6.86% |
2021 |
169.9691 |
Solar Park |
261 |
548 |
259 |
Gas |
11,476 |
44.53% |
Net Metering Rooftop Solar |
53.51 |
1222020 |
64.46358 |
HFO |
6278 |
24.36% |
2019 |
43.73679 |
HSD |
1341 |
5.2% |
Imported |
1160 |
4.5% |
58 |
Solar Irrigation |
50.55 |
250 |
118 |
Solar Roof Top (On and off Grid) |
2018 |
39.99964 |
4.5. Electricity Generation Share
Table 5 presents the necessary data to represent the dependence on different energy sectors for electricity production in Bangladesh. It shows how much electricity is being produced in Bangladesh from which energy sources, and what percentage is dependent on these energy sources. It can be seen that the production capacity of electricity produced with gas as fuel is 11,476 MW, which is almost half (44.53%) of the total production capacity. A very important energy source is renewable energy, which accounts for 3.59 percent of the total generating capacity, and has a generating capacity of about 951 MW. This production capacity was planned by the Bangladesh government to increase by ten percent by 2020 to achieve SDG.
57.54 |
297 |
140 |
Solar Mini and Nano Grid |
6.8 |
41 |
19 |
4.47% |
Renewable |
950.8 |
3.69% |
2017 |
0.36 |
NESCO |
1.763 |
1.763 |
1.763 |
0 |
2017 |
1093.37 |
1.26% |
293.75 |
$1840 |
6.59% |
5.77% |
Captive |
2800 |
10.86% |
Total |
25774 |
100% |
4.6. Energy Generation and Carbon Savings
Carbon dioxide (CO
2) emissions are often measured as elemental carbon in kt (kilotons). The installed capacity of renewable energy systems as sources in Bangladesh and the expected energy generation from them are presented in
Table 6. Furthermore, the amount of carbon emissions reduced by the electricity generated from each source is shown in the third column. It can be observed that the highest carbon dioxide-emission reduction was achieved through large hydro systems with a capacity of 230 MW and an expected energy generation of five trillion-watt hours, which is the highest among other technologies.
Table 6. Technology-wise CO
2 emission reduction predicted by SREDA
[26
Solar Charging Station |
0.2824 |
Solar Drinking Water System |
0.095 |
1 |
511 |
Total |
53.51 |
2016 |
1079.79 |
1.24% |
265.24 |
$1679 |
7.11% |
5.85% |
Solar Home System |
263.69 |
2000 |
973 |
2015 |
1066.58 |
1.20% |
195.08 |
$1248 |
6.55% |
Solar Street Light |
17.07 |
63 |
30 |
Wind (On and off Grid) |
2.9 |
40 |
19 |
Large Hydro (On-Grid) |
230 |
5000 |
2000 |
Biogas to Electricity (Off and on Grid) |
1.39 |
10 |
5 |
4.7. Net Metering Capacity
Continuing to meet the targets of SDGs, the net metering system was introduced in Bangladesh in 2017 to increase the renewable fuel capacity, and great efforts began to increase its scope. The overall picture of the net metering system in Bangladesh is illustrated in
Table 7. It can be observed that the maximum amount of net metering capacity was added in 2021 at 19.41 MW, while the second-highest was 15.34 MW in 2022. A total of 10.04 MW was added in 2019.
Table 7. Periodic capacity statement of net metering
[24].
4.8. Recent Net Metering Progress
Table 8 shows the net metering progress in the last three months wherein the current capacity of various responsible companies and the amount of capacity increase are presented. Dhaka-based companies DESCO and DPDC, which have great potential for solar rooftops, have made disappointing progress.
4.9. Progress of Renewable Energy Share in Bangladesh
5. Obstacles to Achieving SDGS in the Renewable Energy Sector
Bangladesh is a densely populated country. The number of landowners is high relative to the number of many small plots of land with the potential for setting up plants. Although there is a large amount of land suitable for setting up large-scale solar projects, it is the property of many landowners. As a result, more time has to be spent on land acquisition and legal processes
[31]. Large areas along the rivers of riverine Bangladesh are considered to be suitable for setting up solar plants, but as these are lowlands, most of the rivers are flooded every year. Therefore, in order to implement solar projects, additional funds have to be spent on structural development in these places
[32].
There are only two grid-connected solar projects in Bangladesh, one at Jamalpur’s Sarishabari and the other at Teknaf. In most cases, skilled engineers have to be brought in from other countries to solve problems with these. An analysis of the two ongoing projects shows that there is a large shortage of skilled engineers and human effort to implement large-scale solar power projects
[33]. The amount of energy produced from solar power depends on the elements of nature, such as light intensity, dust, and the presence of light. As these elements of nature change, the rate of power generation decreases or increases. As a result, the grid to which solar power will be connected has to endure these changes and various unforeseen errors
[34]. To cope with such a situation, the national grid of Bangladesh has not been enriched by modern technology to a large extent.
Technical standards and codes are required at the national level for the implementation of large projects. Skilled suppliers are reluctant to implement projects considering the risks involved, as there is no code or standard for implementing large projects through solar technology. It has also been suggested that bureaucratic complexity is one of the major obstacles to the spread of renewable energy. Although it is now mandatory to conduct online purchases of goods and services, in some cases more than twenty approvals are required to allow a service provider to start with a project plan. Such conditions can be considered one of the major obstacles to achieving set goals.