The government has decided to supply an additional 250 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) of natural gas to support industries facing reduced output due to a significant gas supply shortfall.
This decision follows a meeting between a group of industrial representatives and Power and Energy Adviser Muhammad Fauzul Kabir Khan, who were briefed on the ongoing crisis in the industrial sector IN Bangladesh Secretariat today.
Of the additional allocation, 150 MMCFD will be sourced from the power sector, while 100 MMCFD will come from the import of four additional LNG cargoes between June and October this year.
To meet this demand, the government has decided to withdraw approximately 100 MMCFD of gas previously allocated for electricity generation. However, the gas will now be redirected to key export-oriented industrial belts in Gazipur, Savar, and Narayanganj.
Previously, the government had planned to use the imported LNG to generate low-cost electricity, but this plan has been revised. The additional gas will now be diverted to industrial units, while electricity demand will be met through liquid fuel-based power generation, particularly during the peak summer months.
“We met with the energy adviser to discuss the severe gas crisis in the industrial belts,” said former BGMEA President Anwar Ul Alam Chowdhury Parves after attending the meeting. “The energy division assured us that an additional 250 MMCFD of gas would be supplied to the industries, and we are satisfied with this decision.”
We are currently receiving 450 MMCFD of natural gas for industrial use, he added.
Power and Energy Adviser Muhammad Fauzul Kabir Khan confirmed the decision, stating that additional LNG imports would take place between May and August to ensure adequate gas supply for industrial use. He added that the industrial community had expressed satisfaction with the government’s measures.