Climate Change and State of Renewable Energy in Bangladesh: An Environmental Analysis

Abstract

Bangladesh has also specified an unconditional contribution in its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions by 5% by 2030 across different economic sectors, such electric power, transportation and industry. In Bangladesh, these types of wastes are not properly utilized and result in more negative externalities. The main environmental threat from biodegradable waste is the production of methane. Biodegradable waste, when collected and processed in an industrial digester, can produce natural gas, used for homes, as well as a growing number of truck and bus fleets in developed nations. Compare this with natural gas, which contains 80–90% methane. The energy content of the gas depends mainly on its methane content. High methane content is therefore desirable. A certain carbon dioxide and water vapor content is unavoidable, but sulfur content must be minimized—particularly for use in engines. The average calorific value of biogas is about 21–23.5 MJ/m³, so that 1 m³ of biogas corresponds to 0.5–0.6 l diesel fuel or about 6 kWh. This overall yield of a biogas plant depends not only on the type of feedstock, but also on the plant design, fermentation temperature and retention time. In light of these joint findings, it makes upfront sense as to why direct subsidies and public financial contributions to installation costs have been crucial for the installation of some pilot plants. However, they have not provided incentives for proper and efficient operation. By contrast, the establishment of appropriate feed-in tariffs stimulates the construction of efficient plants and their continuous and efficient operation. However, besides price considerations, there remain many barriers to market penetration and development of the biogas sector.