ANN/THE DAILY STAR – In Dhaka, a recent study by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) suggested that the national power sector has the potential to generate a minimum of 9,300 job opportunities in the renewable energy field by 2030, provided the government successfully reaches its renewable energy utilisation objectives.
The study highlights the necessity for a holistic strategy to bolster the capabilities of the workforce, including effective training and retraining programs, as well as curriculum enhancements at universities.
As such, the study, titled ‘Energy Transition in Bangladesh: Its Implication on Employment and Skills in the Power and Energy Sector’, recommended investments in workforce development immediately.
It mentioned the target of the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan which aims to make the country capable of generating at least 6,000 megawatts of electricity from renewable sources, including solar power plants and wind farms, by 2030.
“If it is implemented, the number of employees will reach 13,778. It stands at around 4,500 now,” read the study.
The CPD considered two “job function” groupings to calculate the figures. The first considered construction, installation, and manufacturing while the second considered operations, maintenance and processing.
Technical posts will be required as well, including renewable energy technicians, energy storage specialists, smart grid engineers, energy analysts, environmental planners and consultants, energy efficiency experts, green building designers and architects.
Besides, conventional posts such as those of executives, sales and marketing officers and mechanical, chemical and electrical engineers will be needed as well.
The lead author of the study, CPD Research Director Khondaker Golam Moazzem, gave a presentation at the Brac Centre Inn auditorium.
He said energy transition was not solely a technical alteration, but also represents a transition in production techniques and covers a broad range of economic, social, and environmental aspects.
“This transition involves various players and technologies, requiring interdisciplinary skills encompassing engineering, economics, environmental science, and politics for successful management,” he said.
“As energy infrastructure becomes more interconnected and digitalised, the importance for cybersecurity experts to protect against cyberattacks on critical energy systems will increase,” he added.
As per the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan, overall projected electricity generation will reach 28,975 MW in 2030, with renewable energy’s share increasing to 17.4 per cent. Currently, it is only 4.6 per cent.
This will result in a 27.8 per cent reduction in the use of fossil fuels and an 80.1 per cent increase in renewable energy use within seven years, read the study.
“Within only seven years, the target is very challenging,” said Dr Ijaz Hossain, former professor at the chemical engineering department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet).
“The reality is that 2030 is very near. We are already on the wrong track,” he said.
He added, “We live in a country where sunlight is one of our major resources, but during the day, we need to conduct load-shedding. Otherwise, we need to use costly furnace oil to produce electricity.”
The CPD recommended redesigning academic courses, promoting industry-academia collaboration, supporting local manufacturing, creating green job reporting mechanisms, developing transitional plans for fossil fuel workers and conducting more research on emerging issues and concerns.
