Bangladesh Gas Crisis Worsens as LNG Supply Dropped Due to FSRU Fire

Power and Energy Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku said that it will take another 10 to 15 days for the gas supply situation in Bangladesh to return to normal. The crisis has intensified due to a fire at a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), which disrupted the unloading of liquefied natural gas (LNG). As a result, two LNG cargoes cannot be unloaded, causing a drop in gas pressure in household kitchens across the country, as well as affecting power generation.

The minister made these remarks at a roundtable discussion on energy security and resilience in Bangladesh. He stated that repair work on the FSRU is currently underway, but the crisis has worsened due to the disruption in LNG supply. According to Petrobangla sources, after the fire at the Excelerate terminal, LNG supply stood at 560 million cubic feet last Thursday, and it fell below 500 million cubic feet on Sunday.

The country's total daily gas supply has dropped to below 2.15 billion cubic feet, causing severe difficulties for all categories of gas consumers. The minister also mentioned that Bangladesh now relies heavily on imports of LNG, LPG, and other fossil fuels due to declining domestic gas production. This has put significant pressure on the country's foreign exchange reserves.