Acute countrywide power outages are getting cured with increased fuel supply as LNG regasification starts at a repaired floating storage unit in the bay, sources said.
Energy-sector bigwig Summit's LNG Terminal (SLNG) started regasifying liquefied natural gas (LNG) on Wednesday afternoon after a hiatus of around three and a half months since late May, they said.
Initially Summit's floating storage and re-gasification unit (FSRU) will re-gasify around 50 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) due to current limited stock of LNG, Petrobangla chairman Zanendra Nath Sarker told the FE.
It will continue regasifying around 50 mmcfd of LNG over the next one week, he said.
Its subsidiary - Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Ltd (RPGCL)--will start importing LNG from spot market, the Petrobangla chairman also said.
Talking to newsmen, power, energy and mineral resources adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan Wednesday said load shedding would "ease significantly" after three weeks when the Summit FSRU will increase LNG regasification into full gear.
The ministry has started working to adopt a recruitment and appointment policy to stop 'trade' in recruitment and appointment, he said, against the backdrop of past malpractices in the sector.
The interim government will go for open tendering to select contractors in power and energy sectors to ensure transparency and accountability and competitiveness.
Sources said Summit FSRU shut operations after cyclone Remal mayhem in late May and its subsequent accidents lingered its recovery to resume regasification until Wednesday.
Bangladesh stopped inviting tenders to purchase spot LNG cargo from the first week of July due to the halt in operations of the Summit FSRU.
Bangladesh had to cancel five spot LNG cargoes after June due to suspension of operation of the FSRU.
"I am pleased to inform you that we have successfully completed the HBS connections, as of September 11, 2024. 11:30am," managing director of Summit Corporation Ltd Faisal Khan said.
With this, all three HBS lines have been connected and secured to the FSRU. Summit LNG is now fully prepared for STS operations, he said.
Officials said countrywide power and gas crises had compounded sufferings of consumers over the past several days as more than three dozen gas-fired power plants having the total generation capacity of around 3,761 MWs remained out of operations for gas crunch.
Power outages have become worst in rural areas with increased load shedding in urban areas.
Almost all major gas-fired power plants, including the newly commissioned Unique Meghnaghat 584-megawatt and Summit Meghnaghat 583-MW one shut due to fuel crisis.
Azizjst@yahoo.com