Bangladesh Gas Crisis Deepens as Damaged FSRU Faces Partial Repair

A damaged floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) off Bangladesh's coast is expected to resume partial operations within a week, albeit at a reduced capacity of 300 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd). The FSRU, owned by US-based Excelerate Energy, was severely damaged in an electric short-circuit fire incident on Tuesday.

According to senior officials at state-run Petrobangla, the partial repair will enable the supply of regasified liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the damaged unit. However, full-scale operation may take several weeks to resume.

The accident has led to a significant reduction in Bangladesh's overall natural gas supply, falling to around 2,151 mmcfd on Saturday from the pre-accident level of 2,640 mmcfd.

Gas-fired power plants have been particularly affected, with electricity generation plummeting by approximately 1,200 megawatts due to the FSRU's disruption. The shortage has resulted in long queues at CNG filling stations across the country, with drivers waiting hours to refill their vehicles' gas cylinders.