Minister for Power, Energy & Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid Bipu said Wednesday that the government is pursuing bilateral, trilateral and regional initiatives to meet increasing demand for electricity in the country.
"The demand for power is ever increasing and in order to meet it the government is pursuing bilateral, trilateral and regional initiatives," he said while speaking at the launching ceremony of 'Lighting Asia-Bangladesh' programme in a city hotel.
"Lighting Asia-Bangladesh" is a market-transforming collaborative initiative of Deutsche GeselIschaft for Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and International Finance Corporation (IFC), World Bank Group.
The objective of the initiative is to promote off-grid solar lighting sources in areas of Bangladesh that are not served by the national electricity grid.
Speaking as the chief guest, the minister said there are lots of opportunities of off-grid solar lighting business and GIZ and IFC's market-oriented initiatives will help develop the market.
He said when Awami League came to power 45 per cent areas in the country got electricity which is now expanded to 64 per cent areas.
GIZ and IFC promote access to off-grid lighting in Bangladesh.
Christine (Tina) Kimes, Operations Adviser of World Bank Bangladesh, Tobias Becker, Country Director of GIZ Bangladesh and Mr. Mohinder Gulati, Chief Operating Officer of Sustainable Energy for All Initiative also addressed the launching ceremony.
GIZ representative David Peter Hancock and IFC representative Chandrashekar Govindarajalu presented a paper on the off-grid market potential in Bangladesh.
They informed that the GIZ and IFC supported "Lighting Asia-Bangladesh" programme seeks to reach lighting to poor people by catalyzing the private sector driven Pico PV system in Bangladesh.
"The programme is designed as a series of interventions to alter market behaviour, reach 2.5 million people, and displace at least 76,000 tonnes of C02by the end of 2017," they said.
They said the strategy is to encourage people to switch from traditional light sources like candles and kerosene lamps to quality-tested, environment-friendly, energy-efficient, cost-effective, healthier and safer options like solar lanterns.
"GIZ and IFC will also work together to support companies that provide such off-grid lighting solutions, to enter Bangladesh market. This might take the form of improving access to financing and reducing barriers to entry into the industry."
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