LNG supply resumes but loadshedding remains

LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) supply in the country has resumed partly after a halt of three days resulting in an increase of the overall gas supply. Gas supply resumed in Chattogram too but many CNG filling stations failed to supply gas to the vehicles on Monday.

Industries and power sectors are also suffering from gas shortages. As a result, loadshedding problem persists

According to Petrobangla, daily demand for gas in the country is around 4 billion cubic feet while the highest supply ranges from 2.8 to 2.85 billion cubic feet. Only 2.17 cubic feet of gas could be supplied on Monday morning. Later around afternoon, 250 million cubic feet started to be supplied from Summit’s floating terminal.

LNG exported from abroad is supplied through two floating LNG re-gasification units in Cox’s Bazar’s Moheshkhali.

Petrobangla said one of the re-gasification units is run by US company Excelerate Energy and another by Summit Group. Supply from these two LNG terminals was suspended at 11:00pm on Friday amid cyclone Mocha. Excelerate Energy later moved its terminal to deep sea to avert possible damage by the cyclone. The terminal is moving back and resumption of the supply from the terminal may take two weeks.

An official of Petrobangla, on condition of anonymity, told Prothom Alo that there is one ship carrying LNG at Maheshkhali right now. The supply will increase after another ship reaches Maheshkhali, likely on 18 May.  

He said the daily demand of gas in power generation now is 2.17 billion cubic feet but less than 800 million cft was supplied yesterday. Power sector got 1.11 billion cft in last week.

After halting the gas supply completely for a day, Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited (KGDCL) resumed the gas supply in Chattogram yesterday.

KGDCL’s daily demand is 300 million cubic feet, company’s managing director Md Rafiqul Islam told Prothom Alo on Monday, adding that they got 150 million cft after supply resumed yesterday. The company can supply gas to consumers at residential, commercial and some industrial level but supply to power sector and heavy industries is yet to resume.

Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited supplies gas to Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur, Manikganj and Mymensingh. Titas authorities received many phone calls from the customers complaining about the gas shortage. In some areas, gas pressure is too low to cook and CNG stations cannot supply gas to vehicles.

As gas supply remains shut in CNG stations from 6:00pm to 11:00pm, CNG run vehicles start to throng gas stations in Dhaka from morning. Vehicles were seen waiting in long queues in CNG stations for gas refueling. Some CNG stations hung ‘No Gas’ banner

CNG station owners association’s secretary Farhan Nur told Prothom Alo most of the CNG stations in the city are not being able to provide gas due to low pressure of gas.

The Power Development Board (PDB) could not resume operation of gas-run power plants due to the gas crisis. Production in gas-powered plants has decreased to 4500MW (megawatt) from 6500 MW daily. As a result, daily load shedding reaches over 3000MW. Dhaka also experienced more loadshedding yesterday compared to the previous day.

Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) said the highest 9,984MW of power was generated in the country on Monday at 12:00noon. The amount of loadshedding was 2116 MW at that time. The amount of load shedding ranged from 2500 to 3000MW at different times on Saturday night.

Rural Electrification Board (REB) resorted to over 2000MW of load shedding daily. Most village areas in Dhaka, Chattogram and Mymensingh experienced five to six hours of load shedding. Sources from power distribution companies and local customers in Khulna, Sylhet, Rangpur and Mymensingh load shedding increased in some parts of the divisions recently.

Two power distribution companies, Dhaka Electric Supply Company (Desco) and Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC), said they had to resort to on average five hours of loadshedding yesterday. Desco said it got a supply of 812 MW of power while the demand was 1120MW at 3:00pm yesterday. Desco had to stop 97 feeders for shedding 308MW of load.

Desco’s managing director Ameer Kausar Ali told Prothom Alo that loadshedding situation was a bit worse yesterday comparing to Sunday.

DPDC said it got supply of 1,261MW power at 3:00pm while its demand was 1,714MW and had to resort to loadshedding to adjust the shortage of remaining 453MW electricity.

DPDC’s managing director Bikash Dewan told Prothom Alo that most areas are experiencing three hours daily load shedding while some areas might undergo a bit more.

PDB officials said gas-fired power plants supply a large share of electricity in Dhaka. Gas-run power stations of Siddhirganj, Ashuganj, Haripur and Ghorasal are out of operation due to the existing gas crisis. Production at Rampal thermal power plant remains halted since 24 April due to shortage of coal. The gas supply is not likely to increase in the next three days. The situation, however, might improve a bit as production is likely to resume at Rampal power plant.

PDB’s member (production) SM Wajed Ali Sarder told Prothom Alo yesterday that gas supply in Chattogram is not enough yet to start the power plants. Therefore, electricity production cannot be increased.

It will take more time to adjust between the demand and production shortages, he added.