More LNG terminals on cards as import dependency grows: Energy adviser

Prime Minister’s Energy Adviser Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury has said the dependence on imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) will continue some more time as there is no immediate possibility of gas exploration from the country’s offshore areas.

“So, the government has taken initiative to set up more floating storage and re-gasification units (FSRUs) across the country”, he told a webinar, organised by the Bangladesh Energy Society (BES), on Sunday in the city.

FSRU is known as an LNG terminal used to import gas in liquefied form and then re-gasified there before releasing it to the local supply network. 

The energy adviser said more sites are being selected in Payra of Patuakhali and Bhola to set up land-based LNG terminals in addition to the existing two FSRUs in Moheshkhali Island of Cox’s Bazar.  

He noted that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already instructed officials to sign long term deals to import more LNG.

Currently, Bangladesh has long term-contracts with Qatar and Oman to import LNG while it also buys liquefied gas from international spot markets on a short term basis.   

BES president and former principal secretary Abul Kalam Azad made a presentation at the virtual seminar titled: “Present Energy Crisis – Way Forward for Bangladesh” while eminent energy expert Professor Mohammad Tamim, president of Bangladesh Solar and Renewable Energy Association (BSREA) Dipal Barua, chairman of Energy Standing Committee of FBCCI Humayun Rashid, president of Bangladesh Independent Power Producers’ Association (BIPPA) Imran Karim, director of Summit Group Mohammed Faisal Karim Khan addressed on the occasion.

Former chairman of Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and BES vice president ASM Alamgir Kabir presided over the event.

Tamim said it would not be wise to take a concrete decision depending on the current energy crisis as it may not continue for long.   

“Rather, there should be short, medium and long term measures to ensure energy security of the country”, he opined.

Dipal Barua said that renewable energy could play a vital role in the current energy crisis. He mentioned that he came to his village home in Raojan where there was no electricity from 8 am to 12:30 pm. 

Humayun Rashid FBCCI leader and CEO of Energypac Power Generation Ltd, which has set up a number of private power plants, said no other ministry should talk about the current power and energy crisis as it creates unrest among the people.

“We’re passing our best ever time in electricity generation”, he claimed.  

BIPPA president Imran Karim said the role of the private sector in power generation is increasing and it is contributing 33 percent of electricity to the country.