The country is facing a shortage of natural gas, hitting household and industrial consumers hard and affecting production seriously. Not only households and industries, low gas pressure also hits CNG filling stations across the country, including the capital city.
Petrobangla sources have warned that gas crisis may deepen at the beginning of next month because the renovation work on the floating terminal of Excelerate Energy, a US company which supplies LNG, will start from November 1. It will take two months to complete. Petrobangla said that gas supply from floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) will remain suspended during this time.
According to Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company, demand is outstripping gas supply and more gas is being used for power generation, causing sufferings to residents and industrial units. Also, Ghorashal Fertiliser Factory has increased the demand for gas, resulting in a reduction in the supply to the capital.
On September 17, 430 million cubic feet (mmcf) of gas was supplied to Ghorashal Fertiliser factory. A month later on October 17, it increased to about 620 mmcf.
Petrobangla said at present, the country has the gas demand for 4,200 mmcf per day. But the company supplied 2,626 mmcfd on last Sunday. Of the total, LNG was 600 million cubic feet while 1,000 mmcf of gas was supplied to power plants on Sunday.
Households suffer a lot
Akram Hossain, a resident of capital’s Moghbazar said, “We have to pay the gas bill worth Tk 1,080 every month, but gas goes off by 8:30 am. Why do we pay the gas bill every month if we use an electric oven? These are simply anarchy.”
Saifuddin Ahmed, a resident of Mohammadpur said, “We do not get gas for more than one hour during 24 hours for a long time.”
On Sunday, this correspondent visited various areas in Dhaka city, including Jatrabari, Mugda and Old Dhaka and found that gas stoves in most houses had turned off. City residents are cooking with LP gas and using electric stoves. Most of the hotels are also using LP gas.
Rabiul Islam, an auto-rickshaw driver, said that earlier they used to buy gas for Tk 300 and run their auto the whole day. “We are not getting gas for more than Tk 150 since few days. We have to stand in the queue for two-three hours to get gas from CNG stations.”
Maqbul Hossain, manager of a CNG station at Jatrabari, said a CNG filling station needs a gas pressure of 10-15 PSI (per square inch), but they are getting 3-5 PSI.
Concern over LNG terminal renovation
Import of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from the spot market is not being increased due to USD crisis. Gas supply is not increasing from domestic sources quickly. In this situation, an initiative has been taken to repair a floating LNG terminal at Maheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar.
For this, Petrobangla has reduced LNG supply for last 10-12 days. Petrobangla said repair work of the LNG terminal will start from November 1 and will take at least two months to complete.
During this time, gas supply to the national grid will remain stopped through this terminal. As a result, there will be gas shortage till January next year.
Several industrialists said that due to the ongoing gas crisis, they are not able to maintain the production. If the supply of gas is further reduced to repair the LNG terminal, there will be a major negative impact on the industry, they claimed.
Currently, two floating LNG terminals at Maheshkhali in Cox's Bazar are operated by US company Excelerate Energy and domestic Summit Group. Both terminals have a capacity of 1,000 mmcf. Normally 800 to 900 mmcf/d gas was supplied to the national grid through the two terminals. 600 million cubic feet of gas is being supplied for a few days. During the renovation, daily LNG supply from Excelerate Energy's terminal will drop below 500 mmcf, said Petrobangla.
Petrobangla Chiairman Janendra Nath Sarkar said LNG supply will drop further from November 1. During the upcoming winter season, electricity generation will decrease and power plants’ gas demand may drop.
Harunur Rashid Mollah, managing director of Titas Gas, said the crisis has arisen due to a gas shortage. “We are trying our best to overcome the crisis quickly.”
Factories under pressure
Factories in Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Ashulia, Savar, Mymensingh areas are facing gas shortage. Factory owners say that factories that require gas pressure of 15 PSI are now getting 2-3 PSI.
How will the factories run in this situation? Production has to be stopped for most of the day. But they have to pay wage to workers. If losses continue, the factories will face closure, they added.
