Imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply has partially resumed after three consecutive days of shutdown. This has slightly increased the overall gas supply. Gas supply has also started in Chittagong. However, many CNG filling stations could not supply gas to vehicles yesterday even on Monday.
Industries are suffering from lack of gas. Gas supply has not increased for power generation. Due to this, the load shedding situation is also not improving.
The data of Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources Corporation (Petrobangla) says that the demand for gas is about 400 million cubic feet per day. Maximum supply averages 280 to 285 million cubic feet. And 217 million cubic feet was supplied yesterday morning. Before noon, the Summit's floating terminal began supplying 250 million cubic feet of gas.
LNG is imported from abroad and supplied through the floating terminal at Maheshkhali. According to Petrobangla sources, US company Accelerate Energy operates one of the two floating terminals. Another is managed by Summit Group. Gas supply was stopped from two floating LNG terminals last Friday at 11 pm due to cyclone Mokha. Accelerate then moved their terminal into the deep sea. It has started to return. It may take up to two weeks to restart.
A Petrobangla official told Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity that there is now an LNG carrier in Maheshkhali. Supply cannot be increased from this for the time being. A new ship with LNG is scheduled to arrive on May 18. Then the supply will increase. He said that the demand of gas in power generation sector is 217 million cubic feet per day. Less than 800 million cubic feet was supplied yesterday. Last week too, 111 crore cubic feet were supplied to this sector.
However, Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited has started gas supply in Chittagong yesterday after being completely closed for a day. Managing Director of the company. Rafiqul Islam told Prothom Alo yesterday that their daily demand is 300 million cubic feet. Gas supply started yesterday. 15 million cubic feet is available. In this, residential, commercial and some industrial customers are getting gas. However, supply to power and heavy industries has not started.
Titus Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited supplies gas to Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur, Manikganj, Mymensingh areas. They say that customers from different areas have been calling Titus complaint center for the past three years regarding gas supply. Again, even if there is gas in some areas, cooking is becoming difficult due to reduced pressure. CNG stations in different areas are also not getting gas.
Gas supply to CNG stations is stopped from 6 pm to 11 pm. So vehicles go to the station to get CNG from morning. Traffic congestion has been seen at various CNG stations in Dhaka since yesterday morning. Because there is no gas pressure in some stations, they have hung banners saying 'No gas'. General Secretary of CNG Station Owners Association Farhan Noor told Prothom Alo that the gas pressure is low. CNG stations in industrial areas are getting gas. Most of the stations in the city are not able to provide CNG.
Load shedding is 5 hours per day
Power Development Board (PDB) could not start gas-based power plants in Chittagong and Comilla regions due to lack of gas. Gas-fired power plants used to generate 6,500 MW of electricity per day, but now it has reduced to 4,500 MW. Loadshedding more than 3000 megawatts per day. Loadshedding also increased in Dhaka yesterday than the previous day.
The Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB), the only state organization that transmits electricity from the power plant to the national grid, says that the maximum electricity generation was 9,984 megawatts at 12 noon yesterday. At that time load shedding was 2 thousand 116 megawatts. Before this last Saturday night at various times two and a half to three thousand megawatts had to be loadshedding.
Rural Electrification Board (REB), the country's largest power distribution company, is shedding more than 2,000 MW a day. In most of the rural areas of Dhaka, Chittagong, Mymensingh divisions, there is an average load shedding of five to six hours. Talking to electricity distribution companies and local customers in Khulna, Sylhet, Rangpur and Mymensingh, it is known that load shedding has increased in some places in the last few days.
In Dhaka yesterday, two distribution companies, Dhaka Electric Supply Company (DESCO) and Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC), did load shedding for an average of five hours yesterday. Desco says that their demand was 1 thousand 120 megawatts at 3 pm yesterday. 812 MW has been supplied at this time. 308 MW loadshedding by shutting down 97 feeders (power is supplied from one feeder to a specific area).
Sherijgong, Ashuganj, Haripur, Ghorashal gas based power plants are being shut down. They cannot run due to low gas pressure. Bagerhat's Rampal thermal power plant has been closed since April 24 due to lack of coal.
Desco managing director Amir Kausar Ali told Prothom Alo that the situation was a little worse yesterday than last Sunday due to reduced supply.
DPDC says that they got power supply of 1 thousand 261 MW around 3 pm. At the same time their demand was 1 thousand 714 MW. The remaining 453 MW deficit has been adjusted by load shedding. DPDC Managing Director Bikash Dewan told Prothom Alo that loadshedding is happening for three hours a day in most areas. May be a bit more in some places.
Loadshedding will not reduce immediately
PDB officials say that a large part of power supply in Dhaka comes from gas-based power plants. Siddhirganj, Ashuganj, Haripur, Ghorashal gas based power plants are being shut down. They cannot run due to low gas pressure. Bagerhat's Rampal thermal power plant has been closed since April 24 due to lack of coal. Gas supply is unlikely to increase significantly in the next three days. But Rampal can start production today on Tuesday. This may improve the situation somewhat.
PDB Member (Production) SM Wazed Ali Sardar told Prothom Alo yesterday that the gas supply to start the power plant has not started in Chittagong. Therefore, electricity production cannot be increased. Demand and production shortfalls will take more time to adjust.