Bangladesh is counting down to the resumption of gas supplies from the Moheshkhali floating LNG terminal operated by US-based Excelerate Energy, with an LNG cargo expected to arrive and connect with the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) on 23 August, officials said.
The Moheshkhali LNG terminal was shut down on Tuesday afternoon after a shortfall in imported LNG supplies, worsening an already severe gas shortage and increasing pressure on the country’s electricity system.
Officials said the crisis was partly linked to a problematic LNG cargo, Al Hamra, supplied by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) on behalf of Saudi Aramco. The cargo was reportedly found to be unsuitable, disrupting the planned LNG supply schedule.
The interruption has contributed to a sharp fall in gas availability. Total gas supplies to the national grid fell to around 2,189 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd), against estimated demand of between 3,800 and 4,000 mmcfd.
“We have already asked Aramco to replace the cargo according to our schedule,” Petrobangla acting chairman Md Abdul Mannan told Just Energy News.
An official at Excelerate Energy said the company expected an LNG cargo to arrive on 23 August, allowing gas supplies from its FSRU to resume.
“It is unfortunate that we received an unsuitable cargo,” the official said, adding that the government was making efforts to procure replacement LNG supplies.
Md Habibur Rahman Bhuiyan, country manager of Excelerate Energy Bangladesh, told Just Energy News that the company had completed maintenance work on the terminal’s boiler on 14 August.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh is currently receiving around 570mmcfd of regasified LNG from the Summit LNG terminal. Another LNG vessel was expected to join the Summit facility on Wednesday, an official at Petrobangla said.
“With the arrival of the additional cargo, LNG supply is expected to increase from 23 August,” the official added.
The prolonged gas supply shortfall has reduced fuel availability for gas-fired power plants and is contributing to increased load-shedding across the country. The disruption also highlights Bangladesh’s growing vulnerability to interruptions in imported LNG supplies as domestic natural gas production continues to decline.