The government will introduce solar irrigation by reducing number of diesel irrigation pumps in agriculture sector.  

“There are about 12 lakh diesel irrigation pumps in the agriculture sector across the country that will be transformed into solar irrigation,” State Minister for Power and Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid told state news agency BSS on Saturday.

The state minister said the government has a roadmap to increase power from renewable energy sources up to 12,000 MW in the future.

“Plan has been taken to generate 40 per cent power from the clean energy by 2041 and import about 9,000MW under the regional and sub-regional cooperation from neighbouring countries," he said.

But experts said that lack of land and investment are the big challenges for expanding renewable energy and electricity generation in the country.

They mentioned that the developed countries have been pressuring the developing countries to reduce fossil fuel and increase renewable energy in order to deal with the risks of climate change.

The government has required long-term plan to reduce coal fired power plants and increase renewable energy in the country, adding, “Under the energy transition, solar power is being prioritized in agriculture instead of diesel irrigation pumps.”

According to an analysis of the government plan in renewable energy sector, the production target from 51 projects in the short and medium term is 3748 MW. Out of the target, 647 MW will be in the public sector and 3101 MW from solar, wind and waste based power in the private sector solar.

The government's long-term plan emphasizes on importing of renewable energy from neighbouring countries. Prospective generation target is 8299 MW from 74 ongoing projects.

bd-pratidin/GR