The supply of imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the national grid will start anytime in October, says State Minister for Power, Energy Nasrul Hamid.
“LNG supply to the national grid is essential to meet the demand of gas in Dhaka,” Hamid said on Tuesday (Oct 9).
On Aug 13, the government started a test run for the LNP supply. Construction of a pipeline stretching to Anwara Upazila of Chattogram (Chittagong), from the LNG terminal near Moheshkhali, Cox’s Bazar, is underway to add the gas to the national grid.
“Little work remains to finish the pipeline construction and LNG supply will start afterwards,” the minister said while speaking at a seminar in Dhaka.
In late April, a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) of Excelerate Energy Bangladesh brought the first shipment of 133,000 cubic metres LNG from Qatar to Moheshkhali LNG terminal
The state-owned oil, gas and mineral resources company Petrobangla signed a terminal-use agreement with Excelerate Energy Bangladesh Limited to set up the country’s first LNG terminal on Mar 31, 2016.
Singapore-based Astra Oil and Excelerate Energy Consortium are functioning as Excelerate Energy Bangladesh for the project.
According to the deal with Excelerate Energy, Bangladesh will have to pay $0.49 per 1,000 cubic feet of gas to the firm in terminal installation costs and other expenses.
Petrobangla will get the ownership of the terminal, including the FSRU, after 15 years.
Speaking at Bangladesh Energy and Power Research Council (BEPRC)-organised seminar, Hamid said that the government will patronize researches for sustainable development through innovation in the power and energy sector.
The BEPRC provided fund for two research works –‘Integrated Concept for Converting Solid waste to Energy (InConSolE)-Waste to Bi-coal for Power Generation’ and ‘Future Grid: Demand Response Enabled Future Smart Grid to Maximize Intermittent RE Penetration and Reduce Electricity Loss and Theft’, the seminar was told.