Go slow in solar power for securing national grid
The government has approved the construction of around 1,500 megawatt of solar power in the country; although in the past the need to expedite solar power was stressed, now it’s being said that due to excess solar power production, the national grid may face risks.
Therefore, the power department is adopting a ‘go -slow’ policy regarding solar power production. At present, Bangladesh produces 22,562 megawatts power and of this, 8,000 to 10,000 megawatts are being produced in the country. Solar power relies on sun light; once this light fades, the supply has to be increased from other sources.
The grid faces risks as there may be a complete blackout if the power supply falters.
Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) has said that the total solar power produced in the country is 371.16 megawatt.
Of this, the bulk comes from off-grid solar panels and is not supplied to the national grid. From the 371 megawatts, 297.89 megawatts are supplied off-grid and only 73.27 megawatts go to the grid.
In implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the usage of 10 percent renewable energy is mandatory.
In the renewable energy policy-2020, ten percent of the total production of power, which is 2000 megawatt, has been set as target for production.
As per that plan, 300 megawatts will be added to national grid in 2020 and another 250 in 2021.
From 2018 TO 2021, the target for power production is 1150.74 megawatt.
Power Secretary Ahmed Kaikaus says: “We are always giving importance to solar power; we now produce 8-10 thousand megawatts but if we produce 2000 megawatts then the grid will become imbalanced. Many have given Letters of Interest, but we need to move slowly. Solar power is variable. If we have 400/500 megawatts of power then there will be no problem.”
The main problem with solar is that it shuts down when clouds cover the sky; so, supply to the national grid may face interruptions. Therefore, solar power production has to be limited to a certain amount.
A power department official says: “Solar power is a costly and time consuming project and cannot be built suddenly. We have given approval to 1,600 megawatts and this will take time to come; by the time these are ready, the capacity of our grid will also rise. So, for the time being, we are following a ‘go slow’ policy.”
Source: banglatribune
