Gas shortage to be solved soon: RPGCL

DOT Desk: Temporary shortage of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in the country will be solved from January 12 next as mother tanker is likely to arrive at Chattogram carrying 138,000 cubic metres of LNG, reports The Daily Observer.
Talking to the Daily Observer, M Kamruzzaman, Managing Director of Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Limited (RPGCL), said one mother tanker carrying 138,000 cubic metres of LNG will arrive in Chattogram on January 12 as per new agreement signed with the supplying company of Qatar.
He said, “As per agreement, one mother tanker will arrive in Chattogram in every week to meet the requirement of the country.”
Meanwhile, one mother tanker is carrying LNG in every 12 or 15 days. As a result, the Petrobangla could not meet the total demand.
So, the authority concerned has decided to import LNG every week. As a result, the Floating Storage and Regasification Unit will be able to supply 500 mmcft of LNG to the distribution network of the country.
Presently, it is supplying only 280 mmcft of LNG to the distribution line of Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited (KGDCL) to feed Chattogram only. So, the authority has failed to supply more 200 mmcft of LNG to athe National Grid.
Besides, the gas shortage hit the port city Chattogram during the last two weeks as the limited quantity of imported LNG has failed to meet the demand.
It may be mentioned that the crisis of energy in greater Chattogram has been solved with the supply of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG).
Nearly 300 mmcft of LNG has been supplied from the LNG network to the distribution line of Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited (KGDCL) regularly since September 10 of last year.
Earlier, Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) was inaugurated on August 18 last supplying nearly 100 mmcft of LNG to the KGDCL network.
Meanwhile, the MT Excellence, a mother tanker of the USA carrying 138,000 cubic metres of LNG used as Floating Storage and Regasification Unit terminal was installed on April 24 last year.
Floating Storage and Regasification Unit is a special type of ship used for storing and degasifying the LNG and supplying it on shore.
Petrobangla signed ‘terminal use agreement’ and ‘implementation agreement’ with the US firm on the LNG terminal project – Moheshkhali Floating LNG Terminal – in July 2017. As per the agreement, the company was supposed to facilitate supplies of LNG to the shore.
Excelerate built the re-gasification unit on build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) basis. It will charge US$ 0.49 per Mcf (1,000 cubic feet) against its service from the day one.
Petrobangla will buy re-gasified LNG from the terminal on the take-or-pay basis, as per the contract.
Floating Storage and Regasification Unit, which has been moored on the Moheshkhali Island, near the port of Chattogram, has a capacity of 3.75 million tonnes per year.