PM seeks Malaysia's support to ease Bangladesh's gas crisis: State minister
The government expects partial restoration of the damaged LNG terminal early next week.
Highlights:
- PM writes to and speaks with Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim
- Malaysia promises to explore ways to support Bangladesh
- Govt expects partial LNG terminal recovery early next week
- Plans underway for alternative LNG supply and land-based terminal
The government has sought Malaysia's assistance to help Bangladesh overcome the ongoing gas supply crisis, as efforts continue to restore operations at the damaged floating LNG terminal that has disrupted gas supply across the country.
Speaking to reporters today (28 July), State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had written to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and also spoken with him over the phone earlier in the day, seeking cooperation to address the country's energy crisis.
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According to the state minister, Anwar assured Bangladesh that Malaysia would explore all possible avenues to support the country and provide feedback after consulting the relevant authorities.
"The prime minister sought Malaysia's cooperation to minimise the gap between gas demand and supply. This is not only for the current crisis but also for finding a longer-term solution," Amit said.
The appeal comes after a technical failure at the Excelerate Energy-operated floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) off Moheshkhali knocked out around 500-600 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of regasification capacity, triggering severe gas shortages for households, industries, power plants and CNG stations.
Amit apologised again to consumers for the hardship caused by the crisis, saying the government fully understood the suffering of households, businesses and commuters.
He said senior officials of Excelerate Energy, including Regional Vice-President Aziz Kassim, met government representatives today and presented their recovery plan. "We are somewhat reassured after today's discussions. Domestic and international experts are working round the clock to restore the terminal."
The state minister also said the government now expects the FSRU to resume supplying 280-300 mmcfd early next week, while full restoration is expected by the end of next week if repair work proceeds as planned.
Amit informed that the government is also exploring alternative LNG supply arrangements with Malaysia, alongside seeking technical expertise and broader energy cooperation.
He added that the current crisis has exposed Bangladesh's limited flexibility in LNG infrastructure. "We have very few alternatives. That's why a problem at a single FSRU has affected the entire country."
"The government is accelerating efforts to develop a land-based LNG terminal with support from international partners, including Japan, to strengthen the country's long-term energy security," the state minister said.
