24,000 MW coal-fired power by 2030 : Nasrul

State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid Thursday said the government has drawn up a plan to generate 24,000 MW of electricity form coal by 2030, reports UNB.

"Of this, about 6,000 MW will come within the next five years. To implement the mega plan, we need huge investment and skilled manpower," he said while addressing a conference of diploma engineers at city's Biduyt Bhaban.

The conference, organised by PDB Diploma Engineers' Association, was addressed, among others, by PDB chairman Abduhu Ruhullah and association president AKMA Hamid.

The State Minister said the country needs many engineers to run coal-fired power projects, and diploma engineers can play a vital role in this regard by improving their professional skill through receiving training at home and abroad.

"Diploma engineers are the third-tire engineers who have a very vital role to play at the ground level to implement any power plant project. They should take initiatives to be ready to take any new challenges," said Nasrul Hamid.

He also said the power sector needs between US$ 15-20 billion investment in next five years to implement the mega projects. At the same time, it needs huge manpower to implement the projects.

Underscoring the need for declaring all the power stations in public sector as key point installations (KPIs), Nasrul said it would help produce another 5,000 MW power within the next five years.

Responding to a demand of the diploma engineers, the State Minister said the government will take necessary steps to remove all anomalies in the pay-scale of the diploma engineers working in the power sector.