Natural Resources

There are only two significant naturally occurring sources of commercial energy in Bangladesh; gas and coal. There are enormous coal reserves in Bangladesh that are, as yet, largely untapped. The estimated 3 billion tonnes coal resource is equivalent in energy terms to over ten times the current gas reserves in Bangladesh (stated as 5.82 TCF in Petrobangla’s Annual report 2019).
The Phulbari Coal Deposit is one of the country's largest proven coal resources and the only coal mining project in Bangladesh that has been subject to a full Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and Feasibility Study in preparation for development. It could support a power generating capacity of some 6,000MW and, subject to approval, can be in production within three years.