Budget to raise dependency on LNG, coal import: Dr Tamim

The proposed budget has narrowed down the scope of gas exploration in the country and will raise dependency on imported fuel like LNG and coal that in turn will increase the price of electricity and gas, said former energy adviser of the caretaker government and a BUET teacher Dr M Tamim in his reaction to the proposed budget.
"The budget is a policy guideline which indicates what we will do in the next one year on priority basis for the betterment of the people. And the concerned Ministry has fixed or chosen the project's priority for them. The proposed budget did not discuss the energy exploration issue, out of budget the Gazprom is doing some exploratory work that is not our issue, we need more exploration in offshore and onshore areas to increase our (national) output of gas so that we can reduce LNG import. Unfortunately, the budget says it will install LNG terminals and land- based LNG terminal, which clearly says that our eyes are focused on import," Dr Tamim added
He said two floating LNG terminals with a total capacity of 1,000 million cubic feet have been set up at Maheshkhali in Cox's Bazar district with a capacity of 500 million cubic feet each. And after regasifying imported LNG, an average of 600 to 700 million cubic feet of natural gas is being added to the national grid daily. In addition, to increasing the supply of LNG, there is an initiative to set up a land-based LNG terminal with a capacity of 1,000 million cubic feet per day in the Matarbari area of Cox's Bazar district, but what about the gas exploration issue? He asked.
We are paying Tk 18,000 crore for importing LNG from abroad but we are showing less interest to explore our Bay or onshore, he added.
According to the Energy Ministry it is about to install a gas pipeline in the Northern part of the country covering Bogra-Rangpur-Nilphamari-Saidpur spending Tk 1,139 crore, however, the total allocation for the energy sector for the 2021-22 is Tk 2,018 crore. How it will allocate money for gas exploration then ?
The former energy adviser said, "We heard that there is no power generation shortage in the country, but the PDB's statistics said highest average generation of the country is around 13,018 MW but our installed capacity is more than 24,000 MW, it means we have excess capacity and for that we are paying Tk 18,000 crore as capacity charge...these are happening in power and energy sectors but there is no directives to look into the issue.
He said as the      Petrobangla is paying the LNG import bill from gas development fund so the government did not show the figure, but the fund has been created by the public money to explore gas and minerals.
"We need to be more caution in implementing future power projects as government is implementing the big projects in Payra or Matarbari but the load centre is Dhaka, unfortunately we are yet to establish the evacuation system but trying to complete the installation work of the power plants like Payra, Rooppur, Rampal...I'm sure all these mega projects will become inoperative as there will be no evacuation system, we need to pay huge capacity charge to them, everybody knows that fact but who cares," he said.