Renewable energy
A Bangladesh startup that aims at saving the world!
The year was 2018, when Mahbub Sumon decided to do his bit for the environment. Along with his three friends, this young climate activist from Bangladesh founded Shalbrikhkho, a Bangladeshi startup that aims at helping people reuse, reduce and recycle daily-use products.
Two of Mahbub's projects -- BONKAGOJ and plastic from potatoes (POLKA) -- have already caught the attention of thousands across social media platforms. Mahbub opened up about his work in an interview with UNB.
Q. What motivated you to work on renewable energy and eco-friendly alternatives?
While doing some basic research on the alternative power sector and renewable energy prospects, I figured out climate change as the biggest crisis for the human race.
For environmental sustainability, I soon started working on a couple of ideas like natural agriculture for cities and alternative sources of energy. Soon I focussed on developing eco-friendly alternatives to various plastic products.
I experimented with permaculture using BONKAGOJ and succeeded. The principle was -- since paper is made from trees, we can use that paper to grow a tree again. I also developed POLKA (plastics from potatoes) as an alternative to polyethene.
I am also experimenting with different innovative projects in the renewable energy sector and alternative eco-friendly lifestyle changes.
Read Jute: The Greenest Alternative to Plastic Bags
Q. What is BONKAGOJ?
BONKAGOJ, a biodegradable product, is made from recycled paper and embedded with different plant seeds. It's a handmade paper that can be used like any other ordinary paper. But after its use, if anyone puts the paper in a soggy pot, a flower garden will sprout from it within weeks.
Worldwide billions of trees are chopped down every year, many for producing paper. Single-use paper and paper products pollute cities. So, I harped on the idea of turning waste papers into a flower garden to save the environment.
Read BUILD explores producing paper pulp from whole jute plant
Solar Home System: IDCOL partners seek govt intervention in loan write-off issue
Five largest partner organisations (POs) of state-owned IDCOL, who played a vital role in expanding the solar home system (SHS), are now seeking the government’s intervention to resolve the loan write-off issue.
Otherwise, they say, they will be deprived of the benefit and face huge losses.
Official sources said IDCOL recently forwarded a proposal to the Bangladesh Bank seeking a write-off approval of Tk 306.41 crore default loans for its 39 POs. Its 44 POs have about Tk 1,400 crore in default loans.
Also read: Is solar power the solution to Bangladesh's growing energy ...
They said these loans, provided by IDCOL, became default because of the government’s fast grid power expansion programme.
“Grid electricity expanded to the off-grid areas that discouraged SHS consumers to pay back the loans they received from POs. Such unpaid loans finally made the POs defaulters in paying back the IDCOL,” said a top official of a firm involved in the renewable energy programme.
IDCOL had distributed the loan after receiving funds from different donor agencies, including the World Bank.
Read Govt rooftops can generate 2,000 MW of solar power, say experts
According to World Bank’s latest data, an estimated $1,094.93 million was invested in the HSH project to provide electricity to about 20 million people — which means about $266 per household.
Of the investment, 63 percent came from the World Bank, 14 percent from the Asian Development Bank and 12 percent from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
The entire fund was distributed by IDCOL as a soft loan which resulted in saving Bangladesh $1,852 million while providing clean energy since 2003, says a recent World Bank survey.
Also read: Rooftop solar power: 'Net metering can ensure cheaper ...
It said the project helped households gain $745 million, partner organisations $310 million and the IDCOL $379 million while the government's net benefit was $474 million, said the donor agency.
Solar industry insiders said the SHS programme was launched by IDCOL in 2003. In the last 18 years, over 5.5 million solar home systems were installed.
They said that there was a tripartite partnership to the financial model under which IDCOL provided about 70 percent of the total cost of installing the SHS as soft loans to the POs, while the remaining 30 percent was invested by the POs and the customers themselves.
Read Green energy's share of power generation lagging far behind conventional sources
Sreda, BGMEA sign deal for rooftop solar power promotion in RMG sector
Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (Sreda) and Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understating (MOU) under which the state-owned agency will help garment industries to install rooftop solar power in order to transform them into green industries.
Welcoming the agreement between the two private and public bodies, Prime Minister’s Energy Advisor Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said the initiative will create some foots and grounds for promotion of renewable energy in the garment sector.
Read: Rooftop solar power: ‘Net metering can ensure cheaper electricity for garment factories’
“This will open up the door for others to follow”, he told the agreement signing function joining it virtually.
Sreda secretary Niaz Rahman and BGMEA Secretary Abdur Razzak signed the MOU on behalf of their respective sides while Sreda chairman Mohammad Alauddin and BGMEA president Rubana Huq, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr Ahmad Kaikaus addressed the function.
As per the agreement, the Sreda and BGMEA will create coordination in raising awareness about renewable energy in the garment sector, pursue for central bank’s green funding and also investment from banking sector.
Read: Rooftop solar: Power companies instructed to float net metering promotion plan
Nasrul Hamid said the country’s industrial sector consumes nearly 48 percent of their total power generation and garment industries lead the sector by consuming 30 percent of total industrial load.
If the garment industry pursues energy efficiency, it will reduce their 17.6 percent consumption, he added.
Sreda chairman Mohammad Alauddin said there is huge scope for renewable energy promotion in garment sector.
Read Green energy's share of power generation lagging far behind conventional sources
Move for setting up national renewable energy lab
A renewable energy lab is going to be established in the country to promote research on green energy.
Promotion of renewable energy requires common international platform: Nasrul
The European Union can play a behind-the-scene role to enhance regional or sub-regional cooperation among countries for the promotion of renewable energy.
Renewable energy: Government urged to allocate specific budget, set target
The government needs to allocate a specific budget, set a target and formulate policy guideline to promote renewable energy in the country, experts and stakeholders said Saturday in a webinar.
Green energy's share of power generation lagging far behind conventional sources
Though Bangladesh has made substantial strides in overall power generation over three terms of the Awami League, the government's efforts to meet its own target for power generation from renewable energy have failed to keep up.
Dhaka, Berlin identify 5 areas of cooperation
Bangladesh and Germany have identified five areas of cooperation, including renewable energy and energy efficiency, between the two countries.
The other four areas of interventions of German-Bangladesh mutual cooperation are sustainable urban development, good governance, displacement and migration, and sustainable supply chains in the textile sector.
These were identified at the Bangladesh-German Development Cooperation Negotiations 2020 that completed recently with new commitments of Euro 339.54 million.
The overall amount since 1972 reaches Euro 3.03 billion, said the German Embassy in Dhaka on Thursday.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the negotiations were held virtually recently.
The delegation of Bangladesh was headed by Dr Gauranga Chandra Mohantandc, Additional Secretary and Wing Chief, Europe Wing, Economic Relations Division, Ministry of Finance.
The delegation of the Federal Republic of Germany was headed by Dr Ute Heinbuch, Head of Division “Policy Issues of Cooperation with Asia, South Asia” in the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Hammerschmidt, Commissioner for Asia, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development delivered the welcome address.
For the Government of Bangladesh, Fatima Yasmin, Secretary, Economic Relations Division (ERD), Ministry of Finance, made the opening remarks.
The negotiations took place in a friendly atmosphere of constructive cooperation.
Both parties discussed issues of development cooperation including environment, climate change, human rights and good governance.
Germany provides further assistance for forcibly displaced Myanmar Nationals (Rohingya refugees) camps and surrounding host communities with Euro 19 million.
The two delegations had an open and fruitful exchange of views on ongoing projects and programmes in the field of Financial and Technical Cooperation as well as on future development cooperation.
In addition, support to integrated management of the Sundarbans mangroves and the marine protected area ‘Swatch of No Ground’ was agreed.
Also read: Bangladesh needs better-trained manpower as it grows: Germany
Bangladesh keen to work with Sweden in renewable energy sector: Nasrul
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has expressed Bangladesh’s interest to work with Sweden in the clean and renewable energy sector.
Experts for re-fixing solar power generation target to 30,000 MW by 2041
Experts at a workshop suggested re-fixing the target of solar power generation to 30,000 MW by 2041 instead of current target of 40,000 MW and linking it with other national plans like Delta Plan 2100.