Prospect of Renewable Energy in Bangladesh: A Comprehensive Study of Future Scopes

While other neighboring countries are emerging with strong economic growth, Bangladesh, in spite of having abundant resources, is still struggling with power shortage. Energy-starved Bangladesh is facing daunting challenges to meet projected demands for electricity that will exceed domestic supply capabilities within a few years. With only 49% of Bangladeshis having access to electricity, the per capita energy use is only 180 Kilowatt-hours, which is one of the lowest in the region. The vision of increasing economic growth to 8% by 2014 and eventually to 10% by 2017 will come into reality only by proper utilization and collaboration of conventional with renewable energy resources. This paper presents a comprehensive study on current energy scenario in Bangladesh and demonstrates the potential of renewable energy resources that could be integrated through national energy planning and therefore, be a step in the right direction for a sustainable development of the country.