Summit LNG supply halt raises fears of worsening gas crisis

LNG supply from Summit’s floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) has been suspended due to rough seas, raising concerns that Bangladesh’s ongoing gas crisis could worsen further.

The LNG cargo at Summit’s terminal was also moved away from the facility amid the adverse weather conditions.

According to sources at the Energy Division, gas supply from Summit’s terminal resumed briefly on Thursday (August 13) afternoon but was later suspended.

At present, around 190 million cubic feet (MMcf) of gas per day is being supplied to the national grid through Excelerate Energy’s LNG terminal. With Summit’s supply now suspended, overall gas availability has declined further, potentially intensifying the existing shortage.

The impact of the reduced gas supply has already begun to be felt in different parts of the country. Residents in Dhaka and elsewhere are experiencing low gas pressure, disrupting household cooking. In many areas, gas stoves remain unusable for several hours a day, while extremely low pressure in some locations is making normal cooking difficult.

The shortage could also disrupt industrial production. Factory operators fear that inadequate gas supplies could reduce production capacity and affect operations at gas-dependent industries.

The gas shortage may also have an impact on electricity generation. Bangladesh is currently experiencing an average of around 3,000 megawatts of load-shedding during peak hours. If gas shortages at power plants worsen due to the suspension of Summit’s LNG supply, the volume of load-shedding could increase further.

As a result, consumers could face a double burden with severe heat and electricity shortages on one hand, and low gas pressure disrupting cooking and industrial production on the other.

Gas supply to the national grid is expected to remain under pressure until Summit’s LNG supply resumes normal operations.

-HIS