Special Correspondent :
A technical glitch in sub-sea pipeline of Moheshkhali Floating LNG terminal has disrupted supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to national grid worsening the gas crisis in the capital.
Gas supply in most Dhaka neighbourhood, including Uttara, Azimpur, Panthapath, Rampura, Banasree, Mirpur, Mugda and old city has affected seriously as result of the supply disruption.
An increased demand of gas with the advent of winter contributed to worsening the situation further affecting industrial production, electricity generation, household consumption and CNG refuelling.
Petrobangla authorities said the average daily demand of natural gas is 4,100 MMCFD (million cubic feet per day) whereas the gas distribution companies have the capacity to supply 3,260 MMCFD per day. The national grid was receiving 50 million cft gas supply from the floating LNG terminal per day.
On Tuesday, gas distribution companies pumped a total of 271 MMCDF gas to national grid against the demand.
“We’re facing a deficit of 140 MMCFD gas on a regular basis. As the supply is not sufficient to meet demand; this has led to scarcity of gas to some pocket areas in Dhaka over last few years. The halt in gas supply from Moheshkhali Floating LNG terminal further worsens the situation,” a senior Titas Gas official told The New Nation yesterday on condition of anonymity.
City dwellers complained that they have been facing an acute gas crisis over a period of last five days, which severely affected their livelihood.
Gas crisis has forced many household consumers to depend on alternative instruments like kerosene stoves, electric induction and bottled gas for cooking.
“My gas burners have almost turned dry over the last few days affecting my household activities especially cooking,” Nasreen Nahar, a housewife at Mirpur-10, told The New Nation yesterday.
She said her home has no gas supply from in the early morning to mid night.
Selina Akhtar further said low gas supply is nothing new in the city. But there was no supply at all in the last few days.
Radia Rezwan, a dweller at capital’s Lalbagh area said, “Her home does not have gas from 7.00am to 2.00pm for the past ten days. The supply cut was never happened early morning before.”
She said the gas flow goes down again after 7.00pm and rises to normal level after 11.00pm.
When asked, Abul Mansur Md Faizullah, Chairman of Petrobangla, said the fault in sub-sea pipeline may be overcome within four to five days as informed the authorities of the Excelerate Energy, an US company which developed the Moheshkhali Floating LNG terminal.
“As it is a technical gilts, we have to face the problem,” he added.
Excelerate Energy will operate the terminal for 15 years, after which it will transfer ownership to Petrobangla.
An anonymous source in Petrobangla said mismanagement and inefficiency of the US company invited repeated technical faults in the sub-sea pipeline raising the question over the suitability of the costly public project. “The US Company should be penalized for its poor management efficiency.”
