Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

State of Energy Consumption and CO Emission in Bangladesh

Author(s): Abul K. Azad, S. W. Nashreen and J. Sultana
Source: Ambio, Vol. 35, No. 2 (Mar., 2006), pp. 86-88
Published by: Springer on behalf of Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
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Report

Abul K. Azad, S.W. Nashreen and J. Sultana

State
of
Emission

Energy
Consumption and
in
Bangladesh

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the most important gases

in the atmosphere, and is necessary for sustaining life on
Earth. It is also considered to be a major greenhouse gas
contributing to global warming and climate change. In this
article, energy consumption in Bangladesh is analyzed
and estimates are made of C02 emission from combustion of fossil fuel (coal, gas, petroleum products) for the
period 1977 to 1995. International Panel for Climate
Change guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories were used in estimating CO2 emission. An analysis of
energy data shows that the consumption of fossil fuels in
Bangladesh is growing by more than 5% per year. The
proportion of natural gas in total energy consumption is
increasing, while that of petroleum products and coal is
decreasing. The estimated total CO2 release from all
primary fossil fuels used in Bangladesh amounted to
5072 Gigagram (Gg) in 1977, and 14 423 Gg in 1995.
The total amounts of CO2 released from petroleum
products, natural gas, and coal in the period 1977-1995
were 83 026 Gg (50% of CO2 emission), 72 541 Gg (44%
of CO2 emission), and 9545 Gg (6% CO2 emission),
respectively. A trend in CO2 emission with projections to
2070 is generated. In 2070, total estimated CO2 emission
will be 293 260 Gg with a current growth rate of 6.34%
y 1. CO2 emission from fossil fuels is increasing. Petroleum products contribute the majority of CO2 emission
load, and although the use of natural gas is increasing
rapidly, its contribution to CO2 emission is less than that
of petroleum products. The use of coal as well as CO2
emission from coal is expected to gradually decrease.

INTRODUCTION
Carbon dioxide (CO2)is one of the most importantcompounds
in the atmosphere. Natural emission of CO2 from living
animals, humans, wetlands, volcanoes, and other sources is
nearly balanced by the same amount being removed from the
atmosphereby plant photosynthesis and by the oceans. Human
activity, on the other hand, is disturbing this equilibrium by
generating increased CO2 from fossil fuels (i.e. coal, gas, and
petroleum products; and combustion via electricitygeneration,
transportation,industry,and domestic use). The results of these
imbalances are believed to be greenhouse effects: global
warming, melting of polar ice sheets and caps, a rise in sea
levels and subsequent coastal inundations, and damage to
agricultureand natural ecosystems, among others. Therefore,it
is important to study CO2 emission from human activity in
a developing country such as Bangladesh, which is highly
vulnerableto its adverse effects.
Very limited studies have been conducted on CO2emission in
Bangladesh; the Bangladesh Department of Environment
performeda study on CO2 release in Bangladeshfor only 1 y,
1990 (1). In the presentstudy, an attempt is made to analyze the
fossil fuel consumption patterns and trends in Bangladeshand
to investigate the patterns and trends of CO2 emission due to
combustion of fossil fuels. The study will give useful information on Bangladesh's contribution to global greenhouse
86

CO2

gas emission and may lead to planning and decision-making

regardingglobal warming, climate change, and sea level rise in
Bangladesh.

MATERIALSAND METHODS
Study Area
Bangladesh(Fig. 1) is located in South Asia, between20.340 and
26.38? N latitude, and between 88.010 and 92.120 E longitude
with an area of about 147 570 km2 and a population of 119.8
million (2). The nation has a fairly uniform humid and warm
tropical climate. The maximum temperaturerange is between
20?C and 40?C, and the minimum average is just above 10?C.
The humidity range is between 63% and 90%, and the
precipitationrange is 1100 mm to 5690 mm per annum. About
9%of Bangladeshis covered by forest. The topographicalheight
of Bangladeshis only few meters above the mean sea level. The
country is subjected to frequent devastating cyclones, water
surges, and floods.
Structure of Energy Consumptionin Bangladesh
Energy is a crucial input for economic development and for
improving the quality of life. Energy resources in Bangladesh
comprise commercial and biomass resources. Commercial
energy resources in Bangladesh include natural gas, petroleum
products, coal, and hydroelectricity. Petroleum products include diesel, kerosene, furnace oil, motor spirit, and others.
Bangladesh has few indigenous renewableenergy sources, and
the country is heavily dependenton the importedfossil fuels (3).
The energy data for this study were collected from the
BangladeshBureauof Statistics(2), and were analyzed to derive
consumption patterns and trends, and to estimate CO2
emission. The total energy consumption in Bangladesh in

FN
Figure 1. Study area, Bangladesh.

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Ambio Vol. 35, No. 2, March 2006

Methodology for Emission Estimation

Coal,7.59 PJ,
10%

Petroleum
45.58
Products,

NaturalGas,
22.53 PJ,30%

PJ,60%

B
Coal,OPJ,0%

Petroleum

Products,
98.94
_

Gas,
Natural
138.38PJ, 58%

Figure 2. A. Fossil fuel consumption pattern in Bangladesh (1977).

(1995).
B. Fossil fuel consumption
pattern in Bangladesh

1977 was 75.69 petajoules (PJ), which increasedto 237.32 PJ in

1995, with a growth rate of about 5%y-.
Consumption patterns of different fossil fuels in 1977 and
1995 are shown in Figure 2. In 1977, natural gas supplied 30%
of the total energy, which increased to 58%in 1995 (Fig. 2 A
and B). The contributionof petroleumproducts and coal in the
total energy supply, however, decreased(Fig. 2 A and B).
Consumption patterns and trends for different fossil fuels
from 1977to 1995 are shown in Figure 3. Consumptionof fossil
fuels is increasingrapidly.This is due primarilyto the increased
use of natural gas, which grew from 30%of the total fossil fuel
requirementin 1977, to more than 58% in 1995. The use of
imported oil has been restrictedto only those uses that cannot
be met, or are difficult to meet, with naturalgas. The use of coal
decreased gradually, and it has not been used in Bangladesh
since 1995.
Commercialenergy consumption in Bangladesh is growing
at a rapid rate (greater than 5% per year), and population
growth and economic development will probably further
increase energy consumption. A shortfall in the supply of
biomass will also resultin increasedconsumption of commercial
energy.The most visible effect of economic developmentwill be
the gradual replacementof biomass fuels by fossil fuels.

|_

160

gas
Natural

140
|

petroleum
product

120

= coal

80
r- 60
O)0

-20- b

K09,9569

(petrobum
Linear
products)

Year
Figure 3. Fossil fuel consumption pattern and trends in Bangladesh
from 1977 to 1995.
Ambio Vol. 35, No. 2, March 2006

Because biomass burning does not make a significant contribution to the CO2 emission load (4), only fossil fuel use is
consideredin the estimation of CO2 emission in this study. The
steps involved in estimating CO2 emission from fossil fuel
combustion are describedbelow.
Step 1. The net energy consumption data were multiplied by
heat values of the respectivefuel types to convert them to energy
units (petajoules, or 1015 joules) (5).
Step 2. The net energy consumption figures (in petajoules)
were multiplied by fuel-specific carbon emission factors to
estimate the net carbon emission of each fuel type. Carbon
emission factors for each fuel type were taken from those
supplied by the InternationalPanel for Climate Change (5).
Step 3. Actual carbon emission was estimated by multiplying
net carbon emission with the fraction of carbon oxidized. This
step is aimed at correcting emission values for incomplete
combustion (5).
Step 4. The corrected value of oxidized carbon was then
converted into CO2 emission by multiplying with the stoichiometric factor (44/12) (i.e. molecular/atomic ratio of CO2 to
carbon).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The contributionsof natural gas, petroleumproducts, and coal
to total CO2 emission during the period 1977 to 1995 are
presented in Figure 4. Petroleum products contributed 50%of
total CO2 emission. Natural gas and coal contributed44% and
6%, respectively,of total CO2 emission from fossil fuels.
The trend in CO2emission from combustion of fossil fuels in
Bangladesh from 1977 to 1995 is shown in Figure 5. The total
CO2 release from all primary fossil fuels in Bangladesh
amounted to 5071 Gg in 1977, which increased to 14 424 Gg
in 1995, about three times higher than in 1977.
Figure 6 shows the trends in CO2emission from natural gas,
coal, and petroleum, respectively. Figure 6 shows that CO2
emission from natural gas is increasingrapidly. This is because
the use of natural gas increasedrapidly from 1977 to 1995 due
to its availability, ease of handling and transport, ease of use,
and low cost. Use of natural gas in Bangladesh is growing in
fertilizer industries, electricity generation, cooking, and motor
vehicles.
Figure 6 also indicatesa slight increasein CO2emission from
coal up to 1982, and then a decreasing trend. The primary
reason for this is the increasinguse of naturalgas and petroleum
products. It also shows a CO2 emission trend from petroleum
products (e.g. diesel, kerosene,motor spirit,jet propellant,etc.),
and depicts an increasingtrend in CO2emission. There is a little
fluctuation in CO2 emission depending on consumption of
petroleum products. There are few petroleum fields in
Bangladesh; the country is largely dependent on importation
of the product. The use of petroleumis currentlybeing replaced
by the use of natural gas.
The future emission trend for CO2 is shown in Figure 7,
which was generatedon the basis of the averageemission rate of
CO2 from 1977 to 1995. Due to increasedindustrializationand
economic development, the use of commercial fuels in
Bangladesh will increase sharply, and as a result, the amount
of CO2 emission will increase rapidly.
The South Asian countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,
Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka have similar socioeconomic
characteristics.Data adapted from the United Nations Environment Programme(6) show that carbon emissions from fossil
fuel combustion in 1990 in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal,
Pakistan, and Sri Lanka were 5040, 27, 159 600, 272, 18 178,
and 1118 kilotons, respectively, which is equivalent to a per

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87

01o%
;O 10
Coal, 6%

co
Petroleum
Products, 50%

NaturalGas,
44%

Figure 4. Contribution (%) of fossil fuel to CO2 emission

1995).

68

co
Naturalgas
0~~~~~~~~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~E

SU, 4

Petroleumproducts

Year
(1977Figure 6. Trends in CO2 emission from combustion
coal, and petroleum products (1977-1995).

of natural gas,

16
ds

CD14-

'~

300'

CD250"

10

200-20

in

.0150/
0
E100cm

0 50/
0

Year

Year

Figure 5. Trend in CO2emission from fossil fuel combustion in

Bangladesh (1977-1 995).

Figure 7. Future trend in CO2emission from fossil fuel combustion

in Bangladesh (1995-2070).

capita CO2 emission of 0.16, 0.06, 0.67, 0.05, 0.51, and 0.25 ton,
respectively. Bhutan and Nepal have relatively low per capita
CO2 emission because both countries have sufficientsupplies of
hydroelectricenergy and are less dependent on fossil fuels.
Comparison with a Previous Study

References and Notes

Limited data are available to compare the estimated CO2

emission of this study. The Bangladesh Department of
Environment estimated that CO2 emission from commercial
fuels was 13 442 Gg in 1990 (1). This value compares well with
the estimatedCO2 emission in the presentstudy, which is 11 816
Gg for the same year.

Conclusion
This articleanalyzedthe energyconsumption structureand CO2
emission scenarios of Bangladeshin detail. The overall findings
of the study can be summarizedas follows:
The consumption of fossil fuels in Bangladeshis growing at
a rapid rate (greater than 5% y-l) There is an increase of the
proportion of natural gas and a decrease in the share of coal
and petroleum products in total energy consumption in the
period 1977-1995.
The total CO2 release from all primary fossil fuels used in
Bangladeshamounted to 5072 Gg in 1977, and increasedto 14
423.49 Gg in 1995; a growth rate of about 6%per year.
The primary source of CO2 is petroleum products, which
contributed 50% of all CO2 emission. Natural gas contributed
44% of total CO2 emission during 1977-1995.
Natural gas is exhibiting a sharply increasing trend in CO2
emission, coal is showing a decreasing trend, and petroleum
products are showing a slowly increasingtrend.

88

I. Ministryof Environmentand Forest. 1997.Global ClimateChange:BangladeshEpisode.

Departmentof Environment,Ministryof Environmentand Forest, Dhaka.
2. BangladeshBureau of Statistics. 1996. Statistical Yearbookof Bangladesh.Bangladesh
Bureauof Statistics,Dhaka.
3. Bala, B.K. 1998. Energy and Environment:Modeling and Simulation. Nova Science
PublishersInc., New York.
4. Islam, M.N. 1995. Highlights of the National Energy Policy (NEP) of Bangladesh.
Presentedat the MechanicalEngineeringDivision, Instituteof Engineers,October 21.
5. IntergovernmentalPanel on Climate Change. 1994. Guidelinesfor National Greenhouse
Gas Inventories.VolumesI, 11 and III. IntergovernmentalPanel on Climate Change,
United Nations EnvironmentProgramme,World MeteorologicalOrganization,Organisation for EconomicCo-operationand Development,and InternationalEnergyAgency,
Geneva, Switzerland.
6. United Nations EnvironmentProgramme.2000. ReducingGreenhouseGas Emissionsby
PromotingBiomassEnergyTechnologyin SouthAsia. A proposalfor PDF Block B Grant
of GEF, RWEDP/UNEP, Geneva, Switzerland.
7. First submitted24 Feb. 2003. Accepted for publication 13 May 2005.

Abul K. Azad is Associate Professor of EnvironmentalScience

at KhulnaUniversity,Khulna-9208,
Bangladesh.azad_ku@yahoo.com
S.W. Nashreen is a master's student in Environmental
Science, KhulnaUniversity,Khulna-9208, Bangladesh.
J. Sultana is Assistant Professor, Department of Physics,
Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET),
Khulna,Bangladesh.

? Royal SwedishAcademyof Sciences2006

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Ambio Vol. 35, No. 2, March 2006