Govt to focus on nuclear power, renewable energy

The government would focus more on utilising nuclear power and renewable energy as future sources to meet the country's mounting energy demand, Prime Minister's Energy Advisor Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said as the chief guest in a webinar on Wednesday.
He said nuclear energy is treated as clean energy, and renewable energy does not require import of fossil fuels.
He also stressed on energy efficiency and energy conservation to ensure rational use of energy.
The webinar was organised by the Energy and Mineral Resources Division (EMRD) under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources (MPEMR) in observance of the National Energy Security Day.
EMRD Senior Secretary Dr Md Khairuzzaman Mozumder, Petrobangla Chairman Zanendra Nath Sarker, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) Chairman A B M Azad, and President of Parliamentary Standing Committee on MPEMR Waseqa Ayesha Khan also spoke on the occasion.
The EMRD secretary said the outstanding overdue payments to liquefied natural gas (LNG) suppliers and international oil companies (IOCs) would be cleared within the next two months.
The government has been paying around US$ 80-90 million every week for the past couple of weeks to clear the dues, he added.
The Petrobangla chairman said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, during his short tenure, focused on building necessary human resources for oil and gas exploration and distribution.
The BPC chairman said the state-run entity is trying to modernise oil storage and distribution systems to ensure efficiency. The single-point mooring (SPM), Dhaka-Chittagong pipeline, and India-Bangladesh Friendship pipeline would ensure smooth oil carrying.
The construction of jet fuel carrying pipeline from Pitolganj to Kurmitola oil depot would help ensure smooth functioning of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport third terminal, he added.
Meanwhile, MPEMR State Minister Nasrul Hamid on Wednesday inaugurated five memorial plaques in five gas-fields -- Bakhrabad, Titas, Rashidpur, Kailashtila and Habiganj. Petrobangla built these memorial plaques to acknowledge the contribution of Bangabandhu to ensure the country's energy security.

Azizjst@yahoo.com