Gas supply to fertiliser factories suspended

With a view to ensuring uninterrupted power supply during the T20 Cricket World Cup tournament and the ongoing boro season, the government has decided to suspend gas supply to the fertiliser plants except Jamuna Fertiliser Company, officials said Thursday.

The gas, to be saved due to the suspension, will go to the power plants for additional electricity generation to meet the growing need during the period.

"We have already asked the fertiliser factories to shut their productions until boro season ends so that additional volume of power can be generated. Higher volume of power will be needed during T20 Cricket World Cup tournament," Petrobangla chairman Hossain Monsur told the FE.

He said some 200 cubic feet of gas will be saved each day due to the suspension. The gas will help generate additional volume of 800 to 1000 megawatt of electricity.

The Petrobangla in a press release said every day nearly 800 mmcfd gas is supplied to the power plants for electricity generation. "Since there is no other option to raise gas supply to the power plants, suspension of production in the fertiliser factories has been felt necessary like previous years," the release said.

Currently the country's power plants can generate around 6,000 megawatt (mw) of electricity against the demand for 7,500 mw.