No decision yet on daily 6-hour closure for CNG filling stations

State-owned Petrobangla and CNG filling station owners have failed to reach an agreement over the government’s recent decision to enforce a daily 6-hour closure for CNG filling stations across the country.

During a meeting on Tuesday, leaders of the Bangladesh CNG Filling Station & Conversion Workshop Owner Association demanded that the daily closure should be of three hours, instead of six hours.

The owners also asked the government not to implement the decision immediately.

Later, Petrobangla assured the CNG filling station owners that their demands will be sent to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources for the final decision.

Earlier on Monday, the government announced that all CNG filling stations across the country will remain closed during peak hours, from 5:00pm to 11:00pm, effective from September 15.

The decision was later suspended citing that the final decision in this regard will be taken following a meeting between Petrobangla and Bangladesh CNG Filling Station & Conversion Workshop Owner Association on Tuesday.

Petrobangla sources said that Bangladesh was forced to reduce its imports due to rising LNG prices in the world market and opted for a rationing system for CNG filling stations.

Talking to The Business Post, Md Anisur Rahman, senior secretary at the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, said that no decision has been taken in this regard yet. The ministry will again discuss the matter with officials concerned.”

Meanwhile, Bangladesh CNG Filling Station & Conversion Workshop Owner Association General Secretary Farhan Noor said, “We have heard what Petrobangla had to say at the meeting. They have cited a present gas crisis as the government can’t import enough LNG now. It would take them some two month to resolve the crisis.”

“Petrobangla said that 3.51 per cent of the country’s total gas supply is being sent to CNG filling station. If that is the figure, then the government’s plan for a daily 6-hour closure would only save 1 per cent over the stipulated period.”

“In this situation, we have proposed to a daily closure of three hours, from 6 pm to 9 pm, instead of 6-hours and only for a period of three months,” added Farhan.

“Petrobangla said that they will inform the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources of our demands and a new decision will be taken accordingly.

As a result, the 6-hour daily closure for CNG filling stations will not be effective from tomorrow (September 15), he further said.

Earlier on July 19, a virtual meeting of the power ministry decided that all CNG filling stations across the country will remain closed during peak hours, from 5:00pm to 11:00pm.

Mir Mohammad Aslam Uddin, public relations officer of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, told The Business Post that the decision was taken to ease the pressure on gas-fired power plants connected to the national grid during peak hours.