Gas supply crisis expected to ease today

FE REPORT | Published: January 12, 2025 22:38:00

The natural gas supply crisis is expected to ease today (Monday) on completion of the repair and maintenance work of the Excelerate Energy's LNG re-gasification terminal, said sources.
The supply of re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) from the floating, storage and re-gasification unit (FSRU), owned by the US firm, resumes this (Monday) noon after a suspension of 72 hours, a senior Petrobangla official said on Sunday.
Country's overall LNG re-gasification fell to 580 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) on January 11 from around 850 mmcfd due to non-operation of the FSRU over the last three days.
Low gas pressure prevailed in some areas of the country due to the cut in gas supply.
This was the second incident in the last couple of weeks that the FSRU, Excellence, suspended LNG re-gasification for repair and maintenance work.
Previously, the Excellence also had suspended LNG re-gasification over repair and maintenance work during Jan 1-4, the official added.
The Petrobangla authorities, however, regretted the inconvenience to the public, according to a Petrobangla statement.
Sources said the natural gas supply shortage is affecting all kinds of consumers including industries, power plants, commercial users and household consumers, resulting in the cut in industrial output and untold sufferings of the commoners.
The compressed natural gas (CNG) filling stations are also getting lower than expected gas pressure, which is hampering CNG filling in vehicles.
Power plants are also not getting required gas to generate electricity.
More than three dozen gas-fired power plants are now shut as the state-run Petrobangla are supplying only around 802 mmcfd of natural gas to power plants against their 2,420 mmcfd demand.
Residents of different areas in the city were facing acute gas crisis and failing to cook food with the fuel although they are paying gas bills to the government, it has been alleged.
The country's natural gas output is currently hovering around 2,515 mmcfd, of which 580 mmcfd is re-gasified imported LNG, according to Petrobangla statistics as on January 12.
Azizjst@yahoo.com