Govt to launch holiday staggering in gas supply to industries

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A move is underway to introduce holiday staggering by the state-owned Petrobangla in gas supply to industries as a cure for a chronic low-pressure problem due to limited production of the fossil fuel, reports UNB.
According to the plan, the staggered holidaying for the industries will be synchronised with the power-plant-maintenance schedule of the Power Development Board (PDB).
Particularly the bulk gas consumers will have to remain hungry one day a week, while the power plants and fertiliser factories will be overhauled under a yearly rolling plan to make do with the gas in short supply.
Under the overhauling recipe, the fertiliser factories and power plants, the major gobblers of gas, will roll into a halt by turns round the year, each for a certain period of time, to get overhauled and thus cease from using the fuel. They will not be allowed to frequently shut down their operations and go for overhauling all together.
After a consultation meeting with the industry owners, particularly Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), the Petrobangla evolved the holiday-staggering plan as a homespun solution to the gas crunch.
Many industries, particularly textile and garment- manufacturing plants, have been experiencing severe gas crisis for long. The main allegation is that industries are not getting gas supply in proper pressure. Low pressure in gas supply slows down the wheels or disrupts their operations severely.
To resolve the problem, Petrobangla held a number of meetings with the business leaders, where the holiday-staggering idea was broached.
Petrobangla officials said if such holiday staggering is introduced in a coordinated manner with the PDB and other power-supply entities, a better pressure in gas supply could be ensured through diverting gas from holiday-marked areas.
For instance, they cited a finding that gas consumption is less by about 70 million cubic feet at the weekend or on a public holiday than on the workdays.
So, if industrial zoning is done as per a schedule and one area is cut off from gas supply, then the saved gas could be diverted into other areas - a sort of rationing that will finally improve the gas pressure of those areas in operation.
Most of the business leaders support the idea to have a better supply in six days of the week instead of a nagging everyday disturbance in gas supply.
About the plan, Petrobangla Chairman M Muktadir Ali said they already had a meeting with the PDB management where the power producer had agreed on the plan.
"Now, we're going to sit with Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) to discuss the plan," he said.
He also said another wide-ranged meeting would be held with the FBCCI leaders before finalising the holiday-staggering plan.
The chairman informed that if the industries maintain the holiday roster, Petrobangla can save 100 MMCFD gas and divert it to other areas. "If the plan is maintained, the current low-pressure problem will be gone," he claimed.