Kutubdia project

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Editorial

Saturday, 31 July 2010

Author / Source : editorial

The news that windmills at Kutubdia are under threat is disquieting, as it is not simply a case of river or sea erosion.  With reports saying that the problem lies with the embankment this too raises questions about the suitability or otherwise of the chosen site. If, as some say, the construction of the embankment is shoddy, that too must be determined.
The Wind Energy Programme by the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has so far shown positive results. The BPDB has already installed several wind turbines under its renewable energy programme (REP) and the project at Kutubdia was doing well. However, as utilisation of wind energy is still at an early stage, it is possible for mistakes to be made. For example, a location must be fully assessed to evaluate the wind energy potential of the place in question and we can only assume this was done. There is also a variation of wind resource at different locations, which must be taken into consideration when choosing a site.
With conventional energy resources such as biomass getting depleted, turning to alternative energy is logical. Moreover, the production of conventional energy with its high transmission and distribution costs does not permit the expansion of the network for people living in remote and coastal areas. Therefore, wind energy is an obvious choice and suitable for inaccessible coastal areas to meet the demands there.  And though wind energy is yet to become popular, its potential is great. If the sea devours the Kutubdia project, this will have a negative impact on the future for such projects. A full inquiry about the pitfalls is warranted so that similar misfortunes do not arise in future as we desperately need to set up more wind projects in future.