Play store
A technical fault at one of Bangladesh’s Floating Storage and Regasification Units (FSRUs) has temporarily halted gas supply from the terminal to the national gas grid, reducing daily supply by around 450 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD), the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources said on Wednesday.
The ministry said the reduced supply has affected industries, power plants, CNG filling stations and other consumers in different parts of the country.
Lower gas pressure in some areas has limited supplies to CNG stations, leading to long queues and temporary public inconvenience.
In a press release, the ministry said technical experts are working to resolve the fault and restore normal gas supply as quickly as possible.
It added that available gas is being managed to ensure continued supply to priority sectors.
The ministry apologised for the temporary disruption and inconvenience caused by the supply shortage.
It said that although the immediate cause of the crisis is the technical fault at the FSRU, the situation has been worsened by the country’s long-standing dependence on imported liquefied natural gas (LNG).
According to the ministry, inadequate emphasis on domestic gas exploration and production in previous years has increased reliance on imported LNG, making the national gas supply system more vulnerable to disruptions in import infrastructure.
To reduce import dependence, the government has undertaken short-, medium- and long-term initiatives to increase domestic gas production, including a plan to drill 100 new wells.
The ministry said the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has already approved a Tk 729 crore project to drill three gas wells in Netrokona and Sunamganj.
It added that efforts are also underway to attract local and foreign investment in onshore and offshore gas exploration under new Production Sharing Contract (PSC) models.
However, the ministry noted that gas exploration, drilling, infrastructure development and commercial production are lengthy processes, and resolving the country’s accumulated energy challenges will take time.
The government is also pursuing several measures to strengthen long-term energy security, including establishing a fourth FSRU, expanding gas transmission infrastructure, developing Bhola’s gas reserves for commercial use, increasing production through new drilling and workover operations, and diversifying fuel import sources and supply infrastructure.
