Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir has said: “We need to build the necessary infrastructure to overcome the gas crisis. Once that infrastructure is complete, the situation will largely normalize within the next two years. This gas crisis is a legacy of the previous government. Resolving it will take time.”
He made the remarks to reporters Saturday afternoon following an agriculture-related workshop in the Dhopadighirpar area of Sylhet city.
He said: “Acknowledging that factories and industrial enterprises are suffering due to the gas crisis, we have taken initiatives to increase domestic gas supply through new exploration, expanded LNG imports, and the installation of new floating LNG terminals (FSRUs). We need to build the necessary infrastructure to overcome the gas crisis, and once that is complete, the situation will largely normalize within the next two years.”
The commerce minister said: “Currently, the country is extracting approximately 1,700 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas from underground sources. In addition, up to 900 mmcfd is available from the two FSRUs. Altogether, the country has the capacity to supply approximately 2,600 mmcfd of gas per day.” He said this amount is less than half of actual demand, considering power plants, mills and factories, and pending demand for new industrial connections.
On government efforts to increase LNG imports, Khandaker Muktadir said: “It isn’t possible to simply increase LNG imports at will. Building a new FSRU takes time to construct. Alongside that, an underwater pipeline must also be laid from the sea to the national grid. This entire process could take approximately two years.” He said that as an interim measure, an initiative is underway to bring LNG via large vessels through Malaysia’s state-owned Petronas, transferring it to smaller vessels for distribution to various areas. However, he said, Petronas’s vessels are currently occupied with other commitments, making additional vessels unavailable. The energy ministry is working to resolve the issue.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report