Govt plans major LNG infrastructure expansion

Bangladesh plans to expand its liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure with a new floating terminal and a large land-based facility as rising demand and declining domestic gas production increase reliance on imports.

Power, Energy and Mineral Resources State Minister Anindya Islam Amit outlined the plans at the 15th LNG Producer-Consumer Conference 2026 in Tokyo, Japan, recently.

Speaking at the conference, Amit said energy security could no longer be defined simply by access to fuel amid geopolitical shifts, supply disruptions and volatility in global energy markets. Bangladesh's energy strategy would increasingly focus on reliability, diversification, affordability and flexibility, he said.

Natural gas remains critical for power generation, fertiliser production, industrial activity and commercial sectors. But domestic production has failed to keep pace with demand, making imported LNG increasingly important to the country's gas supply system.

Bangladesh currently receives around 1,100 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of regasified gas  from two floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs), while annual LNG demand stands at around 7 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), according to the minister.

To meet growing demand, the government plans to add another 600 mmcfd FSRU at Maheshkhali by 2028, followed by a 1,000 mmcfd land-based LNG terminal at Matarbari by 2030.

LNG import requirements are expected to increase by an additional 3-4 MTPA during 2026-30 and potentially reach 17-18 MTPA during 2031-40, Amit said.