‘Mitsubishi Power to play a special role in achieving Bangladesh’s energy needs’

Bangladesh Power Development Board Chairman Engineer Md Mahbubur Rahman yesterday expressed his hopes that Mitsubishi Power will play a special role in strengthening the partnership with the government towards achieving Bangladesh's energy needs and the goal of zero carbon emissions.

"Mitsubishi Power has been partnering with the government of Bangladesh for more than two decades and helping the country achieve long-term power supply," he said at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Gas Turbine Technical Seminar organised by Mitsubishi Power, a power solutions brand of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

The Dhaka event aims to discuss the latest solutions and services in the power generation industry to advance energy security and decarbonisation in Bangladesh, according to a press release.

The event, attended by around 200 government representatives, industry leaders, and local partners, includes dedicated user sessions and presentations by Mitsubishi Power's technical experts that deep dive into Mitsubishi Power's industry-leading solutions and services—from decarbonisation technologies such as hydrogen and ammonia co-firing to enhancements to the reliability and performance of gas turbines.

Power Division Secretary Md Habibur Rahman, Deputy Chief of Mission from the Japan Embassy Machida Tatsuya, and Mitsubishi Power Asia Pacific Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Osamu Ono participated in the opening ceremony.

In their speeches, the dignitaries underscored the importance of partnerships across nations, sectors, and industries to support Bangladesh's transition to cleaner energy while maintaining energy security, accessibility, and affordability. 

"Bangladesh was the first Asia Pacific country where Mitsubishi Power successfully delivered a steam turbine back in 1960. Since then, we have remained committed to our mandate, and today, we are responsible for approximately 20% of Bangladesh's total energy production," said Osamu Ono.

"The country has immense potential for growth, fuelled by progress in its power sector. Together with our valued partners and customers, we are committed to supporting Bangladesh in realising its energy needs and achieving net zero emissions," he added.

Md Habibur Rahman shared that after achieving the target of 100% electricity supply across the country, their transitional goal is to ensure affordable, better-quality, and uninterrupted power supply to all. They hope that Mitsubishi Power will be with them in achieving the target of 40,000 megawatts of power generation by 2030.

He also highlighted interest in hydrogen technology, citing Bangladesh's "Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan," which seeks cleaner, renewable energy sources such as green hydrogen and blue hydrogen.