Bangladesh scraps plans to build 10 coal-fired power plants

(Reuters, 28 Jun 2021) Pressure from climate activists and rising costs for coal are driving a reduction in plans for new plants that use the dirtiest fossil fuel, the government says

Bangladesh has cancelled plans to build 10 coal-fired power plants, a government official said on Monday, amid rising costs for the fuel and increasing calls from activists to base more of the nation's power on renewable energy.

About 8% of the country's current electrical power comes from coal, but until last year the nation had plans to significantly increase that percentage by building at least 18 coal-fired plants.

Ten of those plants - which were not yet under construction - have now been cancelled, said Mohammad Hossain, head of Power Cell, a technical arm of the energy ministry. Others remain in construction or planning.

"There is a concern globally about coal and we have to adhere to that," he said. "The government is committed to reduce carbon emissions."

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Reuters, 28 Jun 2021: Bangladesh scraps plans to build 10 coal-fired power plants