Dhaka: State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid on Friday said gas supply to industries will increase within one year.  

He made the remarks while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the 3-day international expo on green energy that began at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city, reported United News of Bangladesh.

‘We started giving new gas connection to industries. It will gradually increase. We hope the gas supply to industries will be better in one year’, he told the audience.

The function was also addressed, among others, by chairman of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (Sreda) Anwarul Islam Sikder, Bangladesh Bank executive director Nowshad Ali Chowdhury, BIFFL managing director Formanul Islam and green energy consultant Ananta Ahmed.

Urging the industrialists to relocate their industries to the government-built economic zones, the state minister said the zones will ensure uninterrupted power and gas supply to industries.  

He also suggested the industries having captive power plants to go for ‘co-generation’ to increase efficiency of their energy generation and its use.  

‘If co-generation is introduced in the captive power plants, their efficiency will go up to 60 percent from existing 20 percent’, he added.  

Pointing to the National Committee’s ongoing long march programmne against the government’s move for setting up 1320 MW coal-fired power plant at Rampal near Sundarbans forest, he said this project will not be harmful for Sundarbans as it will constructed 17 km off the forest.  

Nasrul Hamid said the whole world is now thinking of increasing their renewable energy stake in power generation considering the future sustainable development.  

‘Many countries are planning to increase the renewable energy`s stake to over 50 percent from the present rate of 10-15 percent. So, we will have to be forward looking in case of green energy’, he said.

The state minister requested Bangladesh Bank to widen their green financing for various sectors from the only manufacturing and export-oriented industries.  

Nasrul Hamid directed the Sreda to take up move to introduce energy auditing system for industries to ensure energy efficiency.  

Sreda chairman Anwarul Islam Sikder said that the government will generate 2000 MW of electricity from renewable energy by 2021.

Renewable energy`s stake will be 20 percent by 2030` he added.