Energy in Bangladesh

Energy in Bangladesh describes energy and electricity production, consumption and import in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is an emerging economy with a fast-growing energy consumption. Fossil fuels account for 98.9% of the country's energy consumption.Share of primary energy consumption from fossil fuels - Measured as a percentage of primary energy, using the substitution method. (Till 2024) - Our World in Data Dwindling natural gas production has forced the country to become increasingly reliant on imported energy, exposing it to price fluctuations in the international market. Investment into nuclear energy and renewable energy production is aiming to mitigate this.

The country is an import dependent energy market.

Overview Energy calculation method was changed in 2026 resulting in changing values. Energy mix of Bangladesh (in TWh):Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. "Other renewables (including geothermal and biomass)" [dataset]. Energy Institute, "Statistical Review of World Energy" [original data]. Source Year Gas Oil Coal Hydro Solar Wind Nuclear Other renewables (including geothermal and biomass) 1971 3.667125 8.135291 1.0869898 0.48611107 0 0 0 0 1972 3.667125 9.919018 1.0869863 0.48611107 0 0 0 0 1973 5.880875 11.208105 1.41251 0.9194444 0 0 0 0 1974 7.112875 11.659565 1.2555631 0.67499995 0 0 0 0 1975 4.956875 13.631796 1.4531918 1.2111111 0 0 0 0 1976 7.2476254 14.748876 1.4357585 1.3722222 0 0 0 0 1977 8.1235 14.522806 1.4997001 1.2138889 0 0 0 0 1978 8.614375 15.460121 1.4531918 1.4055555 0 0 0 0 1979 9.865625 17.112337 1.081183 1.6305555 0 0 0 0 1980 12.291124 19.291002 1.4443297 1.6194444 0 0 0 0 1981 13.613856 19.89294 1.4847789 1.736111 0 0 0 0 1982 17.674847 19.62132 1.7986726 1.4527777 0 0 0 0 1983 19.667187 17.547495 1.0179855 1.8388888 0 0 0 0 1984 22.700663 17.682053 0.40738726 2.4916666 0 0 0 0 1985 25.780474 19.738766 0.56964904 2.0527778 0 0 0 0 1986 29.07015 21.275486 0.86029434 1.2499999 0 0 0 0 1987 34.155926 20.945486 1.3543715 1.4361111 0 0 0 0 1988 40.201077 20.984262 1.3950651 1.875 0 0 0 0 1989 42.49867 22.941954 1.4531918 2.5555556 0 0 0 0 1990 45.742012 22.227821 3.272589 2.4555554 0 0 0 0 1991 47.107487 20.622862 1.0463046 2.3277776 0 0 0 0 1992 51.370163 23.004263 0.98236287 2.211111 0 0 0 0 1993 57.50253 25.769167 0.36620545 1.6888888 0 0 0 0 1994 60.985718 26.85683 0.34295708 2.3527777 0 0 0 0 1995 67.42334 34.853485 3.7317994 1.0333333 0 0 0 0 1996 72.36467 35.606483 2.0461009 2.0527778 0 0 0 0 1997 71.13274 40.876934 3.7550595 1.9972221 0 0 0 0 1998 76.86446 45.055756 1.0811714 2.4027777 0 0 0 0 1999 83.80357 40.18385 0.53477067 2.3138888 0 0 0 0 2000 90.581894 39.487724 3.8364346 2.0805554 2.77778E-05 0 0 0.13109374 2001 101.43209 47.166737 4.0689416 2.743094 3.8674E-05 0 0 0.10375 2002 106.71138 42.876194 4.249137 2.052055 0.000180822 0 0 0.21687499 2003 114.7843 43.893665 4.0631266 2.0408719 0.002316076 0 0 0.18828125 2004 123.40232 45.732254 4.0689416 2.0298104 0.005186992 0 0 0.1265 2005 132.63358 46.99634 8.347995 2.0134408 0.009145161 0 0 0.11234375 2006 143.63368 47.271736 12.68387 2.0026739 0.014526738 0.004278075 0 0.140625 2007 153.36371 45.713196 10.351397 1.9920213 0.02406117 0.004255319 0 0.17384374 2008 163.7642 45.39375 10.896066 2.5065963 0.04014248 0.007651715 0 0.17290625 2009 187.46739 42.925915 13.61483 1.0944881 0.06588976 0.013385827 0 0.084875 2010 192.53728 47.633118 8.675767 1.8984374 0.115375 0.01328125 0 0.0663125 2011 195.82149 60.019775 12.915543 2.2590673 0.3203083 0.013212436 0 0.10925001 2012 213.3628 68.356895 10.657114 2.0025773 0.40200254 0.01314433 0 0.076937504 2013 219.52786 69.63952 14.760409 1.8628612 0.4969207 0.012994885 0 0.11781251 2014 230.2227 76.66483 9.351047 1.4413574 0.58906615 0.012928752 0 0.14125 2015 258.54062 92.68446 30.633013 2.2737885 0.6732152 0.012863291 0 0.09315625 2016 264.50946 96.11049 23.035818 2.2226949 0.552598 0.012766331 0 0.07321875 2017 265.92673 108.25354 25.117134 2.5738204 0.72881997 0.0127025 0 0.13571875 2018 274.29 124.19397 28.568832 2.1527638 0.78353983 0.012639303 0 0.09665625 2019 309.3438 121.87268 48.06491 2.0373545 0.9258168 0.012576732 0 0.1093125 2020 299.15314 102.776375 52.346832 1.7300512 1.1331061 0.012580051 0 0.109718755 2021 306.08908 140.56749 42.310978 1.6794761 1.5090765 0.012514778 0 0.09996875 2022 286.87222 166.14375 55.396626 1.9042422 1.5928854 0.012484029 0 0.03653125 2023 281.25888 139.36922 81.77186 1.6672456 2.2563024 0.04044522 0 0.03653125 2024 273.2437 160.46597 89.218735 2.4239051 3.0936098 0.23703243 0 0.0366313352025273.76169.10117.680.881.610.0600.04

History Following independence in 1971, the country's energy was primarily derived from oil, gas, coal and hydropower in decreasing order of importance. People in rural areas were mostly dependent on dry leaves and woods for cooking and using kerosene lamp or flashlight at night. The country was energy poor with lack of energy affecting every part of the economy.

As the country suffered through mismanagement, corruption, and lack of a coherent energy policy, the country continued to be dependent upon expensive imported oil.Energy Sector in Bangladesh: An agenda for reforms - GSI Report March 2014 by BIDS (Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies) IISD This was somewhat alleviated as the countries abundant gas fields were surveyed, explored and drilled, which presented its own challenges. The energy demand in Bangladesh is increasing rapidly with increase in GDP. However, initiatives taken to quickly raise capacity without public procurement process has led to rapid increase in both electricity cost and subsidies.

Dwindling gas reserves, a slow uptake in adopting solar and wind energy, volatility in price of the fossil fuel in global market presents contemporary challenges for the energy sector of the country. Slow construction, opaque contracts, and expensive initial investment is hampering new power generation projects such as Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

2020s In 2022, following Russian invasion of Ukraine, Bangladesh entered a prolonged depression due to rising fuel import cost. This rapidly inflated cost of a dollar from 89 BDT in the exchange market to 123 BDT in 2026 in several bursts, hurting Bangladesh's GDP growth after years of progress. Electricity production fell for the first time, other than in 2020 due to covid pandemic, in the countries history. In addition, the foreign reserve dwindled dramatically.

In 2026, US-israel invasion of Iran, triggered another energy crisis. This time fuel was rationed and long lines formed outside of petrol pump. Rolling blackout became common occurrence. Gas prices for household was raised sharply. Refinery in Chattogram shut down due to lack of crude import.

Electricity

Renewable energy

According to the Bangladesh's Power Sector Master Plan 2016 (PSMP–2016), the country has the potential to generate a combined 3.6 GW of electricity from renewable energy sources. Another research has estimated that the potential from wind power alone stands at 20 GW.

The government of Bangladesh has approved the construction by private developers of 19 on-grid solar parks, with would have cumulative generation capacity of 1070 MW.

Bangladesh has planned to produce 10% of total power generation by 2020 from renewable energy sources like wind, waste, and solar energy. The country plans to increase its renewable energy share to 17% by 2041 under its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5% until 2030.

The country's prospect of geothermal energy extraction has also been discussed by researchers.Md. A. Akbar, "An assessment of the geothermal potential of Bangladesh", United Nations University, Geothermal Training Programme, Orkustofnun, Grensasvegur 9, IS-108 Reykjavik, Iceland, Reports 2011, Number 5. Studies carried out by geologists suggested geothermal resources in northwest and southeast region.

See also

Electricity sector in Bangladesh Energy law List of oil and gas companies of Bangladesh

References