Track: Energy

Abstract

In March 2022, Bangladesh proudly achieved nationwide electricity coverage. Predominantly reliant on fossil fuels, the nation's energy sector faces challenges due to global political crises and a dwindling supply of cleaner fuels like natural gas from domestic fields. Consequently, the reliance on less environmentally friendly fuels such as coal and heavy fuel oil (HFO) has escalated, raising concerns about meeting Sustainable Development Goal 7: ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy by 2030. This study fills a research gap by quantifying the electricity generated from various fossil fuels and the associated CO₂ emissions in Bangladesh from Fiscal Year 2016-2017 to 2022-2023. Data sourced from the Bangladesh Power Development Board underpins our analysis, revealing natural gas as the predominant fuel for electricity generation, accounting for 58% of the total. Other significant fuels include HFO, coal, and diesel. Our findings show a stark emission landscape: in the last 7 years, to generate 74897 MWh of electricity, 10395 kilograms of natural gas resulted in 4.39 tons of CO₂ emissions, while HFO, coal, and diesel led to 8039165, 9950976, and 2743311 tons of CO₂ emissions, respectively. Notably, coal combustion had the highest emission rate of 1892.586 kg of CO₂ per MWh of electricity generated. These insights offer a critical lens for policymakers to gauge the distance to carbon neutrality and sustainable energy goals. The evidence supports a strategic pivot towards renewable energy, ensuring that Bangladesh's electricity growth trajectory remains sustainable and efficient.