Gas woes continue as FSRU glitch remains unfixed 

A technical glitch at one of the country's floating LNG terminals has reduced gas supply to the national grid by around 450 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd), worsening the existing supply shortage and disrupting industries, power plants and CNG filling stations across the country.

Following the shutdown of the affected Floating Storage And Regasification Unit (FSRU) in Moheshkhali, Cox's Bazar, gas supply has dropped to 2,170 mmcfd against a demand of 3,800 mmcfd.

"A technical glitch at one of the country's floating LNG terminals has cut gas supply to the national grid by around 450 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd), or nearly 17 per cent, worsening an already acute supply crunch across the country," an Energy Ministry official said.

According to Petrobangla data, total gas supply stood at around 2,620 mmcfd against a demand of nearly 3,800 mmcfd before the problem was detected on Tuesday.

The disruption has affected industries, power plants and CNG filling stations in different parts of the country. In Dhaka and surrounding areas, low gas pressure has prevented many CNG stations from receiving adequate supplies, resulting in long queues and public suffering.

The government said relevant agencies and technical experts were working to resolve the FSRU problem but did not specify when the terminal would resume normal operations.

At a briefing at the Secretariat on Wednesday, Energy Division Joint Secretary Monir Hossain Chowdhury said the immediate gas supply disruption was caused by the FSRU malfunction rather than the Middle East conflict.

He said there was no fuel supply crisis and alleged that some people were spreading "fake news" on the issue.

The country currently has around 344,000 tonnes of diesel in stock, while another 180,000 tonnes are expected to arrive by July 31, which is enough to meet national demand for about 48 days, he said.

He added that a further 240,000 tonnes of diesel are scheduled to arrive in August.

Bangladesh's dependence on the Middle East for fuel imports is limited, with crude oil being the main area of reliance.

"We used to bring fuel through the Red Sea, but we have found alternative routes," he said, adding that there was no immediate risk of a fuel supply crisis.