Green energy transition program starts in BD

Diplomatic Correspondent: Team European Initiative, a joint collaboration of the states under European Union, like-minded European countries and financial institutions, launched its Green Energy Transition (GET) programme in Bangladesh yesterday.
With a commitment of more than € 930 million investment, the GET initiative aims in Bangladesh to build a power system that will lead to maximum share of the country’s energy demand through renewable energy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption and demand through energy efficiency.
The Team Team Europe Initiative on Green Energy Transition (TEI GET) on Tuesday paid a field visit to three
renewable energy projects in Bangladesh.
The visit was attended by Germany and the European Union, as TEI GET Co-Chairs, along with high-level representatives of Denmark, Sweden, AFD, GIZ, KFW and Switzerland, said the Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh.
Among other, it was also attended by Md Mostafa Kamal, Additional Secretary, Renewable Energy, Power Division, Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources (MoPEMR) and Md. Golam Mostofa, Additional Secretary, Member Admin, Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA).
The field visit, organised together with IDCOL, started with a guided tour of the operational rooftop solar with Net Metering system at Snowtex Outerwear Ltd. at Dhamrai, Savar, following a discussion meeting with TEI GET, IDCOL, Snowtex Management and Government counterparts.
Later, the group visited an IDCOL project, co-financed by KFW, of Solar Irrigation Pumps, and a domestic biogas plant in Dhamrai.
During the visit’s discussion, Johannes Schneider, Head of Development Cooperation, Germany, highlighted EU Member States’ common interest to support Bangladesh in achieving their national goals and international commitments in the field of renewable energy through the Team Europe Initiative.
“This Initiative will allow us to better coordinate and consolidate our engagement in the Green Energy Sector and strengthen our relationship with the Bangladesh Government and the private sector.”
Maurizio Cian, Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation, highlighted the transformational approach of Team Europe: “Team Europe’s common values and expertise in Renewable Energy are key drivers of this initiative.
Team Europe provides the framework to deliver European support to the Government of Bangladesh, with the ambition of a transformational impact in accelerating a green and just energy transition”.
Mostafa Kamal, Additional Secretary stated that “Bangladesh is committed to increase renewable energy contribution in the national power generation mix, to promote appropriate, efficient and environment friendly technology for the development of renewable energy. We are looking forward to implementing our strategies in collaboration with Team Europe”.
TEI GET, launched in Dhaka in June 2021, aims at supporting Bangladesh to build a power system that leads to maximum coverage of the country`s energy demand through renewable energy while reducing GHG emissions, energy consumption and demand through energy efficiency.
TEI GET, co-chaired by Germany and the EU includes EU Member States Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and like-minded countries like Norway and Switzerland.
TEI GET is based on four pillars, which are strictly connected in their common effort to support Bangladesh in decarbonizing its energy system by promoting public and private investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency measures, hence reducing environmental degradation and ultimately contributing to the global response to climate change: 1. Politics and society are aware of the importance of a low carbon development and support a low carbon power system; 2.
An effective market for sustainable energy is in place, which sets the right incentives for the best technology at the right place; 3. The grid infrastructure is continuously optimised and, where necessary, expanded to integrate the growing share of variable renewable energy sources; 4. Energy efficiency is enhanced in generation, distribution and private and commercial consumption.
TEI GET comprises projects in the area of effective sustainable energy market, optimized grid infrastructure and renewable energy integration into the grid.