At least nine local and international companies have expressed interest in supplying 30 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas from Bhola – by converting it into LNG – for industries under Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company.
The companies include Gazprom EP International Investment BV, Meghna Ship and Engineering (Dhaka), Techno Electricals Ltd. (SQ Group), China National Machinery Import & Export Corporation (CMC), Hongsing New Energy Bangladesh Ltd., Bangladesh Energy and Power Company Ltd. (BEPCO), CNPC Chuanging Drilling Engineering Company Ltd. (CDECL), Global Commerce Gateway, and Alfabet Engineering Ltd.
A meeting on the issue was held Saturday at Gas Transmission Company Limited (GTCL) headquarters, chaired by Energy and Mineral Resources Division (EMRD) Secretary Mohammad Saiful Islam.
Participants raised questions about the tenure of potential contracts, the timeframe for setting up facilities, technology sources, distribution areas under Titas Gas, whether supply would be on a cluster or industry-specific basis, and how transportation would be managed – via cargo ships or road vessels.
The meeting also reviewed international practices in LNG conversion and transport and how they could be adapted to Bangladesh’s context.
“This is still at the preliminary discussion stage,” said one official, requesting anonymity. “The next step could either be an open tender or a government-to-government (G2G) arrangement. The final decision will depend on pricing, with the contract awarded to the lowest bidder under existing rules.”
“We are focusing on the best use of Bhola’s gas, where reserves are estimated at 5 trillion cubic feet,” EMRD Secretary Saiful Islam told Just Energy News. He added that if larger reserves are confirmed, the government may consider installing pipelines to connect Bhola directly to the national grid.