‘Govt’s power generation cost should be $19bn less’

The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports today in an alternative proposal claimed that the government can achieve its electricity generation target with a lesser amount of investment.

In the “draft” proposal, the committee said the total expenditure plan for power generation can be reduced to $110 billion from $129 billion in next 25 years.

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According to the government master plan, $129 billion investment was targeted up to 2041, the oil, gas protection committee said while revealing its draft proposal in this regard at the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka this morning.

With their proposed investment of $110 billion the government’s target of meeting the demand of 245 terawatt-hour (TWh) electricity up to 2041 can be fulfilled, Prof Anu Muhammad, member secretary of the committee, said quoting the statement.

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The committee in its alternative proposal stated that the generation of electricity should be done based on local resources, freeing country from debts of Russia, China and India, and environment friendly.

Whereas, the government version of the plan is destructive for the environment and it depends on imports and loans from the three countries, it said.

It proposed for natural gas and renewable energy in place of coal, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and nuclear for generating electricity.