The waste of gas has increased due to system loss caused by illegal connection, use of gas more than the approved limit and leakage in gas pipelines when the country has been importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) at higher prices to meet the rising demand.
Experts blamed weak management and lack of capacity in gas transmission and distribution for this situation.
According to the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC), system loss caused a waste of 1.37 billion cubic metres of gas in January. This resulted in a loss of Tk 108.70 billion as Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation (Petrobangla) spends Tk 79.34 per cubic metre of LNG gas in import and distribution purposes.
According to people concerned, system loss of gas reached 2.64 billion cubic metres in the 2022-23 fiscal and 2.39 billion cubic metres in the 2023-24 fiscal, but it is likely to exceed 3 billion cubic metres in the current fiscal.
Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) officials and energy experts said gas is not supposed to leak from pipeline and distribution lines, but it happens for various reasons.
A maximum of 0.2-0.3 per cent of gas can be leaked from gas lines as per international standard, but gas is leaked from both transmission and distribution lines in the country.
Petrobangla director (operation and mines) Md Rafiqul Islam told Prothom Alo that officials have been given tasks based on areas to reduce system loss. Targets have been fixed from the distribution company to decrease the month-wise loss.
Raids are launched to prevent illegal use of gas, he added.
Bakhrabad, Titas see more loss
Gas Transmission Company Limited (GTCL) supplies gas from gas fields and LNG terminals to the distribution companies. GTCL saw less than 1 per cent system loss in the 2020-21 fiscal, more than 1 per cent in 2021-22 fiscal, which exceeded over 3 per cent in the following fiscal.
GTCL officials claimed they have to bear a portion of system loss from the distribution sector.
Currently, six distribution companies supply gas to consumers. Of them, Sundarban Gas Company Limited (SGCL), which distributed gas in Khulna-Barishal region, and Pashchimanchal Gas Company Limited (PGCL), which supply gas in Sirajganj-Bogura region, saw no system loss, while Jalalabad Gas Transmission and Distribution System Limited in the Sylhet region faced less than 1 per cent of system loss.
System loss of Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited in Chattogram increased to 3.85 per cent this year from 3.21 per cent in the last year.
Bakhrabad Gas Distribution Company Limited in the Cumilla region saw 10 per cent of system loss last year, which remained unchanged.
System loss of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution, which supplies gas in Dhaka, Gazipur, Mymensingh and Narayanganj, increased to 10.21 per cent this year from 7.67 per cent last year.
All six gas distribution companies said system loss was caused from illegal connections, old pipelines, damage to pipelines due to construction, and pipeline maintenance.
The Titas Gas also could not prevent system loss by launching raids regularly to disconnect illegal connections.
Titas Gas managing director Shahnewaz Parvez told Prothom Alo old pipelines have leakages. So, a rise in supply increases system loss. Gas is used illegally, also in industry. Raids have been launched against illegal connections. Gas system loss would fall soon, he assured.
Actual system loss also higher
The Titas Gas receives 700 complaints on average, including over 500 complaints on gas leakage, per month. The state-run agency received 9,191 complaints, including over 5,796 complaints on gas leakage, in the 2023-24 fiscal.
The Energy and Mineral Resources Division said work to detect gas leakage started in Chattogram and other respective distribution companies would do so gradually. Titas Gas, Karnaphuli and Jalalabad gas companies supply gas using very old pipelines.
A household consumer uses a maximum 50 cubic metres of gas with a double burner, but they pay Tk 975 for a fixed 78 cubic metres of gas. Thus, distribution companies receive an additional tariff for about 28 cubic metres of gas from about 4 million customers. This money is adjusted with system loss.
On the other hand, industry owners allege that distribution companies do not install electronic volume character (EVC) because EVC would reduce gas bills at industries. There will be no opportunity to hide system loss once EVC is installed, but Petrobangla is trying to raise gas tariff in industry after failing to reduce system loss.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) energy adviser M Shamsul Alam told Prothom Alo the actual system loss of gas is also higher, and this would increase once residential users come under metred system.
It is a crime and against energy injustice to put the liability of system loss on consumers, he added.