Gas supply shortage hits fertiliser production
Naim-Ul-Karim | Monday, 7 July 2008
Insufficient gas supply has been adversely affecting fertiliser production in the state-run factories during the past one week, said officials Sunday.
They said inadequate gas supply has resulted in a decline in the production which was reduced by 10-20 per cent each day in the factories struggling to increase output of the agricultural input to contribute more to the country's yearly requirement.
"We have information that our factories are getting lower gas supply since last week which caused 10-20 per cent production loss per day," a senior official said.
He said the six factories under the state-run Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) last week got less than 174 million cubic feet (mcf) gas per day against the normal demand for around 226 mcf a day.
According to official statistics of the Petrobangla, the country's gas production on Sunday was 1742.6 mcf compared to 1784.6 mcf a day ago.
Of the total production, fertiliser plants including KAFCO receive 235.3 mcf, industries, dwelling houses and CNG filling stations receive 842 mcf while power plants receive about 665 mcf.
The demand for gas in the country is now nearly 2000 mcf per day and with around 250 mcf shortage, Petrobangla is finding it difficult to cope with the situation.
The lower gas supply has also contributed to around 800 megawatt power shortfall in the country.
"We have not reduced gas supply to the state-run fertiliser factories. Some factories received lower supply of gas last week, may be, due to technical glitches," a senior official of marketing and distribution division of the Petrobangla said.
Chairman of the BCIC Md Mokhlesur Rahman told the FE: "The government should preserve gas to meet the future demand of fertiliser plants so that we do not have to worry about the local production since its prices are very high in the international market."
They said inadequate gas supply has resulted in a decline in the production which was reduced by 10-20 per cent each day in the factories struggling to increase output of the agricultural input to contribute more to the country's yearly requirement.
"We have information that our factories are getting lower gas supply since last week which caused 10-20 per cent production loss per day," a senior official said.
He said the six factories under the state-run Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) last week got less than 174 million cubic feet (mcf) gas per day against the normal demand for around 226 mcf a day.
According to official statistics of the Petrobangla, the country's gas production on Sunday was 1742.6 mcf compared to 1784.6 mcf a day ago.
Of the total production, fertiliser plants including KAFCO receive 235.3 mcf, industries, dwelling houses and CNG filling stations receive 842 mcf while power plants receive about 665 mcf.
The demand for gas in the country is now nearly 2000 mcf per day and with around 250 mcf shortage, Petrobangla is finding it difficult to cope with the situation.
The lower gas supply has also contributed to around 800 megawatt power shortfall in the country.
"We have not reduced gas supply to the state-run fertiliser factories. Some factories received lower supply of gas last week, may be, due to technical glitches," a senior official of marketing and distribution division of the Petrobangla said.
Chairman of the BCIC Md Mokhlesur Rahman told the FE: "The government should preserve gas to meet the future demand of fertiliser plants so that we do not have to worry about the local production since its prices are very high in the international market."