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Gas supply to increase by next month


Bangladeshpost
Published : 20 Jan 2020 09:16 PM | Updated : 07 Sep 2020 01:54 PM

Three new gas transmission lines will be ready next month, which will facilitate necessary transmission of gas for supplying more imported re-gasified LNG to national gas pipeline. Energy Secretary Md Anisur Rahman told Bangladesh Post: “We hope, more 500mmcfd gas will be added to national grid from Summit FSRU by February, 15. The addition, hopefully would meet up the present gas deficit. Through this, Bangladesh will move ahead further in ensuring energy security.”

“The government has taken various initiatives to meet the country’s gas demand. Some of those have already been implemented while some others are being implemented in phases,” he added. An Energy Division official said that the country’s total demand for consumption of gas is increasing gradually. On the other hand, the gas reserves in Bangladesh’s own fields are gradually depleting. Against the backdrop of an ever-increasing demand for gas, the government decided to import LNG in 2010 to meet dire energy deficit.

In August 2018, the country had finally entered LNG era. Currently, there are two floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) with a total regasification capacity of 1,000mmcf per day - equal to about 7.5 million tons of gas a year. However, LNG due to short supply 550 mmcfd to 600mmcfd of gas have been supplied.

The state-owned Gas Transmission Company Limited (GTCL) is constructing the three pipe lines to transport the imported LNG. A 181-kilometer gas pipeline having 36 inch diameter is being constructed from Fouzdarhat of Chattogram to Bakhrabad of Comilla via Feni, parallel to 24-inch BKB-Chittagong pipeline.

Under the project, the construction work of nine valve stations, 4 pig launcher & receiver station, two town border station (TBS), one metering station (MS) has already been completed. Besides four river (Dakatia, Muhuri, Feni, Kalidas) crossing work has been done by HDD method.

Kartik Sarkar, Deputy Manager of GTCL, who is also directly involved with the project, told Bangladesh Post, “We have already completed construction of 180.3 kilometers pipe line. Hope, rest of the 0.7-kilometer pipe line will be constructed by middle of February.” “The Prime Minister may inaugurate the pipe line by end of February. Our target is to transmit gas through the new pipe line before the target date,” he added.

An official said, another pipeline with 42-inch diameter 79-km is being constructed from Moheshkhali of Cox’s Bazar to Anwara, which may be completed by end of February. Besides, the construction work of 42-inch diameter 07-km long gas transmission pipeline from Moheskhali Zeropoint (Kaladia chor) to CTMS (Dhalghat Para) will be done by middle of February.

GTCL official said currently, the R-LNG is being supplied to national grid through 24-inch pipeline in a short range. However, after completion of the new pipeline, it will open a new window, and more an additional 600 mmcfd of LNG will be supplied to the National Grid, which is expected to end of February or first week of March.

“After the start of LNG import, the government decided to reopen gas connections of the compressed industrial factories. As a result, the applications for gas connection to gas distribution companies are increasing. Bangladesh has also signed a deal with Oman to buy LNG. Bangladesh's LNG imports are expected to hit 10 million mt/year by 2023,” energy division official said.

The government plans to buy more than 1 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) on the international spot market this year to meet the growing demand for energy in the country. On the other hand, gas-rich Brunei has shown interest to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Bangladesh amid the country's mounting natural gas demand. Besides, the government has decided to construct land-based Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal with a capacity of 1,000 million cubic feet per day in Maheshkhali, which is expected to be completed by 2023.