Dr. Tawfiq-E-Elahi Chowdhury, adviser to the Prime Minister on Power, Energy and Mineral Resources said on Thursday that the government has no plan to extract coal right at the moment.
"We are producing coal from Barapukuria choosing the underground method, but if we want to increase our coal production from other fields, open pit mining is the solution, however, we are not thinking about it as there is a huge water level over the coal that connected with the Bay of Bengal," he remarked.
The adviser was replying a question about the government's future plan of domestic coal extraction and coal policy while unveiling a publication of Energy Reporters Bangladesh (FERB, titled "Empowering Bangladesh" at Biddut Bhaban.
Addressing the power price issue, Dr. Tawfiq-E-Elahi Chowdhury said that if the Russia-Ukraine war situation does not impact the global energy market in future, the price and supply situation of electricity will be better.
"If the downward trend of fuel prices in the international market continues for a few more months, gas and electricity prices will also see the downward as it is an imported item, however, we will adjust the price locally if the situation remains same and stable."
He said no one can predict the future of this war, everybody knows that we are importing fuel and all energy and power related equipments from abroad, that needs dollar, however, we are gradually overcoming the 'dollar crisis' issue but still the war is continuing.
"If we adjust the price at a once, then it would be a shock, so we are trying to adjusted it phase by phase thus the price would be at the tolerance level," he said.
On 18 January, the Energy and Mineral Resources Division hiked the gas price by maximum 179 per cent, citing the energy price volatility in the global market and its impact on Bangladesh as it imports LNG. The retail electricity price has also been hiked by 15 per cent in one month.
Addressing the irrigation and summer supply-demand management issue, the adviser said the government has increased gas supply to the gas-power plants which helped meet electricity demand.
However, talking about the power supply situation amid the ongoing irrigation and summer season, he said, the government has increased gas supply to the gas-power plants which helped meet electricity demand.
"The government is planning to go for bidding round to increase gas production, but the Conoco Phillips and other IOCs left out from here observing that the price is not lucrative for them, however, we are thinking the issue, the adviser said.
Among others, Power Cell DG Mohammad Hossain, DPDC Managing Director Bikash Dewan, DESCO's Managing Director Kawsar Amir Ali also spokes. FERB chairman Shamim Jahangir presided over the event.
