State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said on Tuesday that the government is ready to welcome more involvement of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to the countrys energy and power sector.
"We wants to see AIIBs more activity here as a partner in developing gas pipeline projects and underground transmission lines in the country," the State Minister said during a call on meeting with Vice-chairman of AIIB Rajat Misra at his secretariat office.
Both side discussed privatization of transmission lines, renewable energy issues and energy and power trading of Bangladesh with its neighboring countries. AIIB is a major stakeholder of Bangladeshs energy and power sector.
"AIIB is working as a partner with Bangladesh government to develop the distribution network along with its ongoing Rooppur transmission line and implementation of energy master plan," Rajat Misra said.
According to a press release, AIIB is funding US956.41 million in developing Power Grid Company, Bangladesh (PGCB)s 4 projects. However, Dhaka has sought US3068 million AIIB projects support in this regard.
Meanwhile, Nasrul Hamid said gas meter, battery storage system and related subsectors are lucrative areas for investment and he sought AIIBs investment here. "We want to supply uninterrupted electricity to consumers, presently the per kapita energy consumption is 602 kilowhatt per hours and we wants to increase it at 1500 kiliwatts hours; thats need huge investment," Nasrul Hamid has said.
Energy specialist of AIIB Haribhaskar Rangaraja, sinor transport specialist Farhad Ahmed and senior officials of the energy ministry were present.
