Summit’s LNG terminal may take 10 more days to resume gas supply: Nasrul Hamid

Summit Group's LNG terminal needs 10 more days to resume operation to supply imported LNG to the national gas grid.

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said this at the side-lines of a contract signing ceremony at Biduyt Bhaban in the city on Wednesday.

"Summit's FSRU may take 10 more days to resume gas supply," he said.

The state minister's remarks came against the backdrop of Summit Group's floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), known as LNG terminal, failing to resume operation as per schedule on Tuesday.

Officials said the LNG terminal, having 500 MMCFD gas supply capacity, remained out of operation since 27 May after it was damaged by Cyclone Remal.

Following the damage, it was sent to Singapore and brought back to its operation site area in Maheshkhali after completion of the repair works.

But again, it suffered a technical glitch just before resuming operation. Since then, over two months, it made several attempts to resume the gas supply, but failed.  

Due to the shutdown of Summit's LNG terminal operation, the overall gas supply has declined by 500 MMCFD leading to a major impact on gas supply to power and industrial sectors.

There are two LNG terminals across the country—one with 600 MMCFD capacity, owned by Excelerate Energy and another 500 MMCFD capacity, owned by Summit Group. 

The country's ongoing gas crisis further intensified by the halt of Summit LNG terminal's operation, said the officials.

The country supplied 2637 MMCFD gas against a demand for about 4000 MMCFD on Wednesday.