Bangladesh Seeks Three More LNG Terminals Amid Energy Crisis
The Bangladeshi government plans to establish three additional floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) at Payra, Mongla, and Hiron Point by 2029 to expand the country's Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) import capacity. According to Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood, the government had already ordered one new FSRU and was conducting feasibility studies for the three proposed terminals while seeking investors.
Speaking at a discussion titled 'Navigating Bangladesh's Energy Crisis: Immediate Priorities and the Path to a Sustainable Energy Future', the minister said that the recent fire at one of Bangladesh's two existing FSRUs had exposed the risks of depending on limited LNG infrastructure. The damaged FSRU is being repaired by specialized engineers from Britain and Singapore, but once the second phase of repairs was completed, the terminal would have to be shut down for about 72 hours to synchronize its two boiler systems.
The minister warned that gas supply could deteriorate further during the shutdown, saying 'We are in a shortage situation right now.' The government had procured four LNG cargoes, which would be unloaded immediately once the FSRU became operational. However, Mahmood acknowledged that additional terminals alone would not solve the gas shortage because transmission capacity was also constrained.
Experts at the discussion emphasized the need for reliable and affordable energy supply to boost industrial competitiveness. Syed Nasim Manzur, member of the CPD Board of Trustees and president of the Footwear Leathergoods and Accessories Exporters Association, said that factories could not operate efficiently when gas and electricity supply remained uncertain.