PM Backs KUET Waste-to-Fuel Project

DHAKA — Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has assured researchers of government support for a project to produce fuel oil from human waste, sewage, kitchen waste and agricultural residues. The prime minister gave the assurance on Saturday after viewing a demonstration of the technology at his office in Tejgaon, according to his Deputy Press Secretary Md Suzauddhowla (Sujan Mahmud).

Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) Professor Dr Md Khalekuzzaman briefed the prime minister on the research, its progress and the prospects for commercial production. The researchers have been developing the technology for nearly a decade using Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL), a process that converts wet organic waste into biocrude under high temperature and pressure.

Laboratory tests have reportedly achieved biocrude yields of 50 to 55 percent, with further progress in producing diesel-rich biocrude. The next step is to establish a pilot plant capable of processing one to three tonnes of waste daily to evaluate production efficiency, costs and commercial viability. The proposed facility is estimated to cost Tk 100 crore to Tk 120 crore.

According to the researchers, successful commercial-scale implementation could eventually replace 10 to 15 percent of Bangladesh’s imported crude oil and save an estimated Tk 6,500 crore to Tk 13,000 crore in foreign exchange annually.

However, the researchers acknowledged that these projections depend on successful scale-up and assessments of the technology’s economic viability. They said the project could help reduce fuel import dependence, improve waste management, curb environmental pollution and create opportunities for a domestic fuel industry.

Power and Energy Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku, State Minister Aninda Islam Amit, University Grants Commission member Professor Dr Abdullah-Al-Mamun, KUET Vice-Chancellor Professor Muhammad Masud and Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation Chairman Dr Md Rafiqul Islam were also present at the demonstration.