Bangladesh's Energy Crisis Worsens as LNG Supplies Fall

Bangladesh's energy crisis deepened again as LNG supplies fell due to rough weather in the Bay, pushing total gas availability to a three-week low and worsening power shortages with prolonged outages in rural areas.

The country's total gas supply fell to around 2,100 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) yesterday, against a daily demand of about 3,800 mmcfd, officials said. Domestic gas fields contributed around 1,630 mmcfd, while the two floating LNG terminals together supplied up to 410 mmcfd.

The Excelerate terminal is still not operating at full capacity, according to State Minister for Power Anindya Islam Amit. He noted that restarting one boiler of the Excelerate-run terminal requires shutting down the other for at least 72 hours, causing another temporary disruption. Yesterday, a Petrobangla official said there's no chance of resuming this boiler this week.

The government has adopted a new strategy to alleviate the electricity situation, allowing shopping malls, markets, and shops to remain open until 8:00pm instead of 9:00pm. Illuminated billboards must be switched off by 7:00pm, while decorative lighting will remain off. Fairs, trade fairs, and cultural programmes will also have to end by 8:00pm.

The renewed power shortage is particularly severe in rural areas, where distribution companies are receiving substantially less electricity than demand. The Bangladesh Palli Bidyut Association, representing all 80 Palli Bidyut Samities (PBSs), has sought security for their grids, substations, and offices amid growing public anger over prolonged power cuts.