Govt requests India to increase diesel supply thru pipeline: Minister

Highlights:

• Bangladesh seeks more diesel supplies through India pipeline
• Gas supply expected to improve within two to three days
• Excelerate FSRU resumes partial operations after shutdown
• Gas shortage has disrupted power plant operations
• June tariff adjustment contributed to higher electricity bills

Bangladesh has requested India to increase diesel supplies through the cross-border pipeline, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood said today (6 August).

He made the remarks while speaking to reporters after a meeting with Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi at the Secretariat.

"We import diesel from India through the pipeline, and we have requested them to supply more," he said.

Describing the meeting as routine, the minister said Bangladesh and India have several areas of mutual interest as neighbouring countries.

"I regularly meet ambassadors from different countries. The meeting with the Indian high commissioner was also a routine one. As India is our neighbouring country, we have many areas of mutual interest, and those issues were discussed," he added.

Regarding the ongoing gas crisis, Mahmood said supply is expected to improve within the next two to three days as Excelerate Energy's floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) gradually resumes operations.

The LNG cooling process at the terminal has started, and gas supply will improve once the regasification system becomes fully operational, he said.

"The LNG cooling process has started. Once it is completed, gas supply will begin. I hope the overall gas supply situation will improve, although it will take another two to three days to return to normal," he said.

He said gas supply would return to the level seen before the disruption caused by the FSRU shutdown.

Excelerate Energy's FSRU resumed partial operations today, supplying around 115 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas to the national grid after remaining offline since 21 July due to a fire that damaged two of its boilers.

The shutdown significantly reduced regasified LNG supplies and intensified the country's ongoing gas crisis, affecting industries, households and power generation.

Acknowledging the impact of the shortage, the minister said gas supply disruptions had also affected power plants.

"When there is a gas shortage, people suffer and so do power plants. Once gas supply returns to normal, the power plants that remained idle due to the shortage will be brought back into operation," he said.

Responding to criticism over the prolonged crisis, Mahmood said the incident at the LNG terminal was beyond human control.

"The incident at Excelerate was beyond human control," he said.

On complaints about increased electricity bills, the minister said the tariff adjustment introduced in June had contributed to higher bills.

"We have increased electricity prices effective from June. We have asked consumers to provide their billing documents if they believe they have been overcharged, but many have not submitted documents," he said.