Bangladesh Gas Crisis Deepens as Load-Shedding Hits Record High
A severe nationwide gas shortage in Bangladesh has persisted for over a week following a reduction in liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply. The crisis, triggered by a fire at one of the two floating storage and regasification terminals operated by Excelerate Energy, has disrupted industrial production, household cooking, and electricity generation.
The shortage has resulted in widespread load-shedding, with daily power shortages exceeding 2,500 megawatts. To alleviate the situation, efforts are underway to restart the undamaged boiler at the fire-damaged terminal, which could increase gas supply by 300 million cubic feet per day.
Government officials have sought assistance from Malaysia in importing LNG in ISO tank containers, but this option is deemed expensive and time-consuming. Petrobangla has proposed increasing gas prices for the power generation and CNG sectors, but Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood stated that there are no plans to raise prices at present.