Excelerate FSRU resumes LNG supply after 3-day halt as new cargo arrives

The Excelerate Energy-operated floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) in Moheshkhali resumed LNG regasification and gas supply today (22 August) after a three-day halt, following the arrival of a new LNG cargo a day earlier than scheduled.

The resumption is expected to provide some relief to Bangladesh's worsening gas crisis, particularly for power plants and industries facing severe shortages.

Regasification resumed around 2pm with an initial supply of about 100 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd), which will be gradually increased as operations stabilise.

With supplies from both FSRUs, Bangladesh's total LNG supply stood at around 670 mmcfd, while national gas supply reached approximately 2,300 mmcfd as of 2:30pm, according to Petrobangla officials.

"The Excelerate FSRU has resumed operations and started supplying gas. The supply will increase gradually," Engineer Md Shoyeb, director of the Production Sharing Contract Division at Petrobangla and also director of operations and maintenance (additional duty), told The Business Standard.

The LNG cargo supplying the terminal arrived yesterday, a day ahead of its originally scheduled arrival, allowing the FSRU to resume operations.

Supply from the FSRU had stopped on 19 August after the terminal ran out of LNG in storage, aggravating the country's already severe gas shortage.

The terminal had previously remained out of operation following a fire on 21 July during a ship-to-ship LNG transfer operation in Moheshkhali. The incident forced it to suspend operations and reduced gas supply to the national grid by as much as 450mmcfd.

The government subsequently moved to fast-track the import of critical spare parts needed to repair the damaged terminal.

Excelerate later resumed partial operations, but its LNG stock was depleted again last week.