types of energy using pattern in bangladesh (mahadi )

Types of energy using pattern in bangladesh (mahadi )Muhammad Mahadi..

Environmental Science Discipline..Khulna University..

Introduction:Bangladesh still remains an agrarian country. Because of the fast population growth, the

amount of per capita cultivable land is dwindling very fast. In order to survive as a

nation, and to prosper in the 21st century, Bangladesh will have to shift from an agrarian

economy to an industrial economy. Consequently, the power generation will have to

increase drastically to achieve that goal. Electrification of the whole country should be

taken as the top most priority. According to the Report of the Task Forces on Bangladesh

Development Strategies for the 1990s, as s of 1991, 73.1% of the total energy

consumption comes from biomass fuel, such as agricultural residues, tree residues, fuel

wood, and dung. The use of biomass is not only an ineffective means of energy

generation, it is also extremely detrimental to the environment. Bangladesh has about half

the USA population and about one-eighth of India's population. However, the energy

production in Bangladesh is not a match to either of these countries. In fact, even

amongst the 40 countries classified by the World Bank as "low income countries",

Bangladesh's commercial energy use stands less than 31% of the average of these

countries. Bangladesh has a poor economy but the United States has the world's largest

economy. Since all industrial and other economic activities rely on electricity or other

means of power, the primary energy production can be considered as an indicator of a

country's economic strength. In 2005, Bangladesh’s real gross domestic product (GDP)

grew at 5.4 percent, down somewhat from the 2004 growth rate of 6.3 percent. Economic

forecasts are at 5.8 percent for 2006.

Bangladesh: A Mono-Energy Country: The national energy balance of Bangladesh

clearly depicts that natural gas is Bangladesh's only significant indigenous source of

commercial energy. It is the principal source of energy for the country's power, industry,

commercial, and domestic sectors. Natural gas provides over 90 percent of Bangladesh's

electricity, and is also the feedstock and fuel of the urea and ammonia fertilizer plants.

Urea has helped Bangladesh attain self-sufficiency in rice production—the major local

food crop. Natural gas at present is undoubtedly an important driving force of its

economy. The future development of Bangladesh's economy depends largely on the

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government's ability to sketch out a natural gas strategy that offers the best prospects of

utilization of this unique asset of the country.

Comparison of Energy Use : Bangladesh has one of the lowest rates of per capita

energy consumption in the world. As is evident from Table 1, the 1997 Bangladeshi per

capita energy consumption (197 kgoe) was less than the average per capita energy

consumption of South Asia for the same period (443 kgoe), and far less than the averages

for low income (563 kgoe) and lower middle income (1,178 kgoe) countries. It is also

evident that during the 1990s, the energy consumption of Bangladesh grew at a slower

pace (1.0% per annum) than the South Asian average (1.9% per annum).

Table 1: Comparison of Energy Use .

Economy Commercial energy use Net energy

imports

Thousand metric tons

of oil equivalent

Per capita % of commercial

energy usekg of oil

equivalent

Avg.

annual

%

growth

1990 1997 1990 1997 1990-97 1990 1997

Bangladesh 20,936 24,327 190 197 1.0 10 10

Low income

(average)

1,122,683 1,194,696 607 563 -1.2 -17 -9

Lower

middle

income

(average)

2,426,917 2,384,856 1,302 1,178 -1.2 -18 -20

South Asia 435,330 556,496 394 443 1.9 9 15

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(average)

World 8,608,414 9,431,190 1,705 1,692 0.0 -- --

Source: World Bank, "World Development Report 2000/2001: Attacking Poverty," Selected

World Development Indicators, Table 10, Energy Use and Emissions (New York: Oxford

University Press, 2001), http://www.worldbank.org/poverty/wdrpoverty/report/index.html.

An Overview of the Energy Consumption Pattern in Bangladesh: Low availability of

commercial energy can be a crucial obstacle to a country's economic development.

Bangladesh's per capita energy use barely touched the 240 kgoe mark, which is the third

lowest in South and South East Asia after Nepal and Cambodia. Most of it, however, is

non-commercial energy. The country has huge unmet demand in commercial energy,

reflecting the energy-starved condition of millions of people. Only 18 percent of the 134

million people in the country have access to electricity.The annual per capita

consumption of electricity has been officially estimated at 112 kWh, which compares

unfavorably with neighboring India's 440 kWh. Ironically, only 4 percent of the people in

Bangladesh have access to indigenous natural gas.

Current Energy Balance In Bangladesh: While the numbers are approximate, recent

estimates for Bangladesh state that about 70 percent of energy needs are met by

traditional or non-commercial sources of energy, which primarily come from agricultural

residues, scrub wood, and animal dung. The remaining 30 percent of energy needs are

met by commercial energy sources available in the country. The trend of commercial

energy consumption over the last ten years suggests that 70 percent of Bangladesh's total

commercial energy was provided by natural gas, with the remainder almost entirely

provided by imported oil, plus limited amounts of hydropower and coal (Figure 1)

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http://www.worldbank.org/poverty/wdrpoverty/report/index.html



Fig: Commercial Energy Consumption Trend in Bangladesh

Different Sources of Energy Generation Consuming in Bangladesh: Bangladesh is

not well endowed with conventional sources of energy. The country's energy sources are

neither adequate nor varied. Non-commercial sources of energy include biomass fuels,

agricultural residues, tree residues, and animal dung. The country receives 5.05 to 8.76

kWh (kilowatt hours) from solar radiation, but commercial photovoltaic generation is too

expensive for Bangladesh. Conventional commercial sources of energy in the country

include fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, natural gas and hydropower. A brief accounting of

these commercial sources of energy in Bangladesh has been provided below.

Coal:

Peat:

Oil:

Hydropower:

Natural gas:

Electricity

Wood Energy

BIO ENERGY

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Coal: Bangladesh has small coal reserves, and has consumed little coal in the

past. Bangladesh began commercial coal production in April 2003 with the

opening of the Barapukuria Coal Mine, which is expected to produce one million

short tons of coal per year (Mmst/y), principally for electricity generation. The

total reserves of coal in the country are estimated at about 1.75 billion tons, but at

present underground mining has been initiated only at Barapukuria with a

production level of one million tons per year. In July 2005, UK-based Asia

Energy Corp. (AEC) submitted a proposal to develop a coal mine in Bangladesh’s

Phulbari region. According to a Scheme of Development and Feasibility Study

submitted to the government, AEC declares that the Phulbari site contains an

estimated 572 million short tons of recoverable coal reserves. Despite

Bangladesh’s small reserves, the government has recently promoted the

development of coal to ease its reliance on natural gas for power generation.

Bangladesh’s coal reserves have so far not been developed, mainly owing to a

lack of domestic financing.

Peat: Bangladesh has approximately 173 million tons of peat deposits throughout

the country. Production has yet to begin because it has not been considered as cost

effective as other energy sources, given the country's existing technology.

Oil: A very insignificant reserve of oil was found in Bangladesh serendipitously,

in 1986. The country possesses a small proven oil reserve of 56.9 million barrels.

Between 1987-94, about 0.65 million barrels of crude oil was produced. But the

production was suspended in 1994 and has remained inactive due to techno-

economic considerations. According to Oil & Gas Journal (OGJ), Bangladesh has

28 million barrels of proven oil reserves as of January 2006, down from 56

million barrels in 2005. The country produced an estimated 4,000 barrels per day

(bbl/d) of oil in 2005, flat from the previous year. Bangladesh’s relatively low

level of domestic reserves and production capacity make it a net oil importer, as

the country consumed an estimated 91,000 bbl/d of oil in 2005.

Hydropower: Being essentially a delta, Bangladesh has limited hydropower

potential. According to assessments reported in the Bangladeshi Government's

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http://www.eoearth.org/article/Coal



Power System Master Plan 1995, the country has the potential to produce 755

MW (megawatts) of hydropower per day. At present, its sole hydropower plant's

production capacity is 230 MW per day.

Natural gas: In the overall energy picture of Bangladesh, the country's natural

gas endowment in comparison to other energy resources makes Bangladesh

essentially a mono-energy country. It is estimated that Bangladesh's net

recoverable reserves of natural gas (as of April 2002) lie in a range from 12.04

Tcf (trillion cubic feet) to 15.55 Tcf. Natural gas reserve estimates vary widely for

Bangladesh. Oil & Gas Journal (OGJ) reported that Bangladesh had 5 trillion

cubic feet (Tcf) of proven natural gas reserves as of January 2006, down

significantly from OGJ’s January 2005 estimate of 10.6 Tcf. It is not clear why

the large downgrade of Bangladesh’s natural gas reserves occurred. In mid-2004,

estimates from state-owned Petrobangla put net proven reserves at 15.3 Tcf.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Finance estimated in 2004 that the country holds 28.4 Tcf

of total gas reserves, of which 20.5 Tcf is recoverable. In June 2001, the U.S.

Geological Survey estimated that Bangladesh contains 32.1 Tcf of additional

“undiscovered reserves.”

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( Source : Natural Gas Production in Bangladesh, 1994-2004. (Source: EIA International Energy Annual))

Fig: Natural gass production in Bangladesh,1994-2004

Electricity: In 2004, Bangladesh had 4.7 giga watts (GW) of installed generation

capacity, up from 3.6 GW in 2002. 95 percent of this capacity was conventional

thermal power (primarily natural gas) and the remaining 5 percent hydroelectric

power. Electricity generation per capita is one of the lowest in the world, at about

155 kilowatt-hours (kwh) in 2005. According to the World Bank, only 32 percent

of the population has access to electricity, primarily in the more developed eastern

zone of the country. Since much of the country is disconnected from the national

electricity grid, noncommercial sources of energy such as biomass are estimated

to represent more than half of Bangladesh’s energy consumption.

(Source: EIA International Energy Annual)

Fig:Installed Electricity Generation Capacity by Type, 1994-2004.

Wood Energy: Bangladesh is one of the RWEDP-

member countries with the smallest area of natural

7

http://www.eia.doe.gov/

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Watt-hour

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Watt

http://www.eia.doe.gov/

http://www.eoearth.org/image/Bangladesh_elec_gen_cap.gif

0

50

100

150

200

250

Series1

Series2

Series1 0 81.10% 202

Series2

Population (1996)

Share of Rural

GDP per capita



forest (5.4% of total land area in 1995). Per capita income is only just over US$200 per

year. Biomass energy, consisting of fuel wood, agricultural residues and dung dominates

primary energy production and supply in Bangladesh. In 1994, 141 PJ of fuel wood and

363 PJ of other biomass energy was consumed, mainly in the household sector. Seventy

one percent and 20% of the total energy consumed came from biomass and wood fuels

respectively. Between 1983 and 1994, fuel wood consumption grew with an average

annual growth rate of 1.3%, compared to 9% for conventional energy. As much as 87%

of all wood fuels originate from sources other than forests, but severe scarcities prevail

almost all over the country.

Fig:Wood for cooking purpose. Fig: An old women making Wood burner.

Wood Energy Data

Table:General

Population (1996) 120 mln.

Share of Rural Population 81.1%

GDP per capita (1995) in constant 1987

US$ 202

Fig: In general.

(Source:Woodfuel in Bangladesh - Production and Marketing - Technical Papers from the National Training Course,

RWEDP Report 38, 1998 )

8

http://www.rwedp.org/rm38.html

Forest Area (1995)in 1000 ha

Natural ForestArea (1995) in1000 ha

Agricultural Area(1994) in 1000 ha

Share ofWoodfuels fromForest Area (1981)

1

2

3

4

5



Table:Energy Consumption (1994/95)

Total Final Energy Consumption in PJ 845.1

Consumption of Wood Energy in PJ 143.7 (17.0%)

Consumption of Biomass Energy in PJ 563.4 (66.7%)

(source:Regional Study on Wood Energy Today and Tomorrow in Asia, Field Document 50, 1997)

Fig: Energy Consumption (1994/95)

Table:Wood Energy Resources

Forest Area (1995) in 1000 ha 1,010 (7.8%)

Natural Forest Area (1995) in 1000 ha 700 (5.4%)

Agricultural Area (1994) in 1000 ha 9,400 (72.2%)

Share of Woodfuels from Forest Area (1981) 13%

(Source: Chapter 2 in Review of Wood Energy Data in RWEDP Member Countries, Field Document 47, 1997)

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Fig: Wood Energy Resources

http://www.rwedp.org/fd47.html

http://www.rwedp.org/fd50.html

Sust. Supply fromNatural Forest inkton

Sust. Supply fromForest Plantationsin kton

Sust. Supply fromAgriculture Areasin kton

Sust. Supply fromOther WoodedLand in kton



Table:Potential Wood Energy Supply (1994)

Sust. Supply from Natural Forest in kton 737

Sust. Supply from Forest Plantations in kton 1,028

Sust. Supply from Agriculture Areas in kton 5,593

Sust. Supply from Other Wooded Land in kton 215

Supply from Wood Waste from Deforestation in kton 1,426

Total Potential Supply in kton 8,999

Primary Wood Energy Requirement 9,396

BIO ENERGY : Bangladesh is densely populated country. Large proportions of rural

and urban poor traditionally harvest; fire wood, Vegetation, animal excreta and

agricultural residues for domestic cooking. These methods proved to be unsustainable as

fire woods contributed to higher levels of deforestation. However long term sustainable

development in energy sector requires a gradual shifting towards renewable sources of

energy. Country like Bangladesh, making people renewable way meeting energy

demands, considerably Biogas technology is cheaper option. The Local Government

Engineering Department (LGED) with continuous contribution to sustainable technology

bridging the gap between energy demands and harnessing bio-energy with a renewable

way. Bio-gas generation from disposal waste of animal husbandry, agricultural residues,

human execrate, poultry dropping from a average house holds and making people more

renewable to a environmentally friendly technology. The gas generated from bio-gas

plant can meet the fuel requirement of cooking without causing any environmental

problem.

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Fig:Potential Wood Energy Supply (1994)

(Proceedings of The National Workshop in Bangladesh on Wood-Based Energy Systems for Rural Industries and Village Applications,

RWEDP Report 34, 1997.Biomass Based Energy Systems in Rural Industries and Village Applications Bangladesh - 17, 1989)

http://www.rwedp.org/rm34.html



DEVELOPMENT OF BIOGAS TECHNOLOGY

Organic matters such as animal and human excreta, agricultural and industrial waste,

water hyacinth etc. when fermented under an anaerobic condition produce a combustible

gas called Biogas. It is a renewable source of energy, can be used as fuel for cooking,

lighting, running vehicles and generators, etc. Other natural resources like oil, gas etc.

are limited and will be exhausted in course of time. That is why, the developed countries

consider their natural resources very precious and are cautious about extracting those. In

Bangladesh neither the decision-makers nor the experts pay due importance on proper

extraction and use of natural resources. With the present rate of consumption, natural

energy resources like gas will be exhausted shortly and this is high time to derive policy

and practice for exploration and use of alternative renewable sources if we want to meet

energy crisis in near future. Biogas has been found to be a proven renewable energy

option.

Fig:

Biogas plant.

Fig: Biogas plants in Bangladesh.

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types of energy using pattern in bangladesh (mahadi )

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