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Experts for widening natural gas exploration for meeting industrial demand

Staff Correspondent
19 Jun 2021 20:57:03 | Update: 19 Jun 2021 21:13:07
Experts for widening natural gas exploration for meeting industrial demand
Speakers attend a webinar organized by the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Saturday.

Experts have urged policymakers to carry out extensive exploration for natural gas to ensure cost-effective energy supply for industries in the country.

While speaking at a webinar on Saturday, they also termed the use of natural gas as very cost-effective for industries.

The webinar titled “Future of Industrial Fuel Source in Bangladesh: LPG & LNG” was arranged by the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), said a press release.

Senior Secretary at Energy & Mineral Resources Division, Md Anisur Rahman, was present at the webinar as the chief guest while Member of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission, Md Maqbul-E-Elahi Chowdhury, joined the programme as a special guest. DCCI President Rizwan Rahman chaired and moderated the webinar.

The DCCI president said that energy plays a pivotal role in the economic development and industrial progress of a country and the growing energy need for diverse economic operations demand blended energy mix to offset the shortages of gas.

“To accelerate the industrial growth in a planned and more environment-friendly way, Bangladesh needs to put more focus on the import and production of alternative fuel like LPG and LNG alongside natural gas exploration,” he was quoted as saying.

In his keynote paper, energy expert Engineer Khondkar Saleque Sufi said that LNG and LPG will be the future fuel for Bangladeshi industries and called for preparing rational planning for utilisation of gas.

MD Anisur Rahman in his speech said that the government has not stopped gas exploration rather 100 million cubic foot gas has been added to the national grid recently.

“It’s a good news that we have found new gas field in Jokigonj from where BAPEX will explore gas. Our capacity for onshore gas exploration is quite satisfactory but for offshore gas exploration we still encourage foreign explorers,” he said.

Md Maqbul-E-Elahi Chowdhury at the event said that BAPEX has been strengthened for gas exploration and at present the country has 3300 million cubic foot gas out of which 74 per cent comes from local gas and 26 per cent comes from LNG. He stressed on opening a data center and expediting local gas exploration.

BGMEA president Faruque Hassan in his speech said that gas is very important for the RMG industry and the backward linkage industry that is textile, Spinning, Dying, and Finishing.

Seven to eight per cent of the country’s total gas supply is used in the RMG sector which is very less in terms of the contribution to the economy, he added.

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