Excelerate halts gas supply for 5-day

The company’s floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), located in the Bay of Bengal off Maheshkhali, stopped supplying gas to the national pipeline network at around 3PM on Wednesday.

An official responsible for the terminal said gas supply would not resume before August 23, meaning the facility is expected to remain completely out of operation for around five days.

“We currently have no imported LNG cargo, or tanker, at our plant. So gas supply was completely suspended from 3PM Wednesday. A cargo is scheduled to arrive on August 23. Supply can resume once it arrives and is connected to the terminal,” said an official of the state-run Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Limited (RPGCL), requesting anonymity.

In contrast, Summit’s floating LNG terminal in Maheshkhali is operating at full capacity and continues to supply gas to the pipeline network.

RPGCL Deputy General Manager (LNG) KM Zahirul Islam said to media that although supply from Excelerate’s terminal had stopped, Summit’s terminal remained fully operational. As of 9pm Wednesday, the terminal was supplying up to 558 million cubic feet of gas per day.

Two floating LNG terminals operated by Summit and Excelerate Energy in Maheshkhali supply regasified LNG to the national pipeline network.

Excelerate’s terminal was damaged in a fire on July 21, disrupting LNG supply and triggering widespread interruptions in pipeline gas supply. After repairs, the terminal resumed partial gas supply on August 5.

Meanwhile, Summit’s FSRU suspended LNG unloading for three consecutive days due to adverse weather, further reducing supplies from the two terminals and worsening the country’s gas crisis. Hundreds of industrial plants were reportedly forced to shut down during the resulting shortage.