Energy Bangla

The government may suspend piped gas supply to households and CNG stations in Chittagong to meet the rising demand of fuel in industrial units, State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid said while placing his idea to solve the nagging energy crisis in the port city. The state minister said he will discuss the idea of suspending piped gas to households and CNG stations with his cabinet colleagues. “We will solve the gas crisis within two and a half years. For this, we want to stop piped gas supply to households and CNG refueling stations and divert the resource to industrial units,” the state minister said while addressing a roundtable on ‘Industrialisation of Chittagong: Availability of Energy’ held in the capital on Saturday.
Chittagong Journalists Forum Dhaka (CJFD) arranged the roundtable at Biddut Bhaban.
The state minister also advised the household gas users to start using LPG gas instead of piped gas. He also the government will to introduce LNG by 2017.
Nasrul Hamid said the government has taken a mega plan to build an energy hub in Chittagong.
“We need time to establish the hub and there will be no gas and power crisis after two and a half years”
He also observed that if the policymakers had taken appropriate plans 20 years ago, the country would not be facing any energy crisis now.  Nasrul Hamid also expressed dissatisfaction over lack of skilled manpower in the power and energy sector.
Responding to the state minister’s remarks, Prof M Shumsul Alam, energy adviser of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), said, “If you can take the issue to the cabinet, we will follow you”
Nasrul Hamid said the government will adjust the bottle and piped gas prices again as LNG tariff would be relatively higher.
He also informed that the power distribution companies provided 3.5 lakh new electricity connections per month.
“But the efficiency of the power plants is reducing gradually. The government appointed an auditor to review the performance of the power plants. We will take decisions regarding the inefficient power plants after getting the audit report.”
CJFD President Sail Islam Dulal presided over the roundtable, which was also addressed by former special assistant of the caretaker government Prof M Tamim, Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) member Dr Salim Mahmud, PKSF managing director Abdul Karim, Power Division additional secretary Dr Ahmed Kaikaus, Petrobangla director (operation) Jamil Ahmed Aleem, Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) president Mahbubul Alam, former FBCCI vice-president Hakim Ali, former Petrobangla director Moinul Ahsan and CJFD member shahed Siddique. Power Cell DG Mohammed Hossain and Independent TV head of News Room Mamun Abdullah presented two separate keynotes in the roundtable.
Prof M Tamim said Chittagong has been suffering a lot due to gas crisis. “We are not seeing any optimistic plan from the government to solve the crisis,” M Tamim said.  He advised the government to drill wells in Kutubdia Feni to solve the gas crisis the Chittagong.
BUET Prof M Tamim also advised the power, energy and mineral resources ministry to chalk out a strategic plan on LNG tariff for 2017.  He also stressed the need for making the industrial units more energy efficient.
CAB adviser Prof Shamsul Alam said “Chittagong has been facing acute gas crisis, but the government could not address this crisis properly.”
CCCI president Mahbubul Alam told the roundtable that capital machineries worth over Tk 3,000 crore lay idle at 40 factories due to gas crisis in Chittagong.
He also said the businessmen have stopped investing in new industrial ventures due to energy crisis. “No country except Bangladesh uses the gas rationing system and hampers industrial production,” said the CCCI president, who is also a senior vice-president of FBCCI.
Mahbubul Alam urged the government to set up a dedicated gas transmission pipeline between Bakhrabad and Chittagong to solve the gas crisis.  The CCCI president also stressed the need for finding out ways to import gas from Myanmar.
Petrobangla director Jamil Ahmed said gas supply in Chittagong has improved than before compared to Manikganj, Savar and Baluka.  He also informed that the government would start the construction pipeline for LNG supply in December this year.
PKSF managing director Abdul Karim said, “We need to set up the second refinery to meet rising demand of petroleum fuel.”
Additional power secretary Dr Ahmed Kaikaus said the consumers in Chittagong would enjoy improved power supply after two or three years as the power division has taken five large power distribution projects for the greater Chittagong region.
Mamun Abdulla, at his keynote paper said the Chittagong has been facing disparity in power and energy supply over the past two decades.
“Chittagong receives only 270mmcfd gas against the demand of 500mmcfd. The electricity demand in the port city is 800MW, but it gets only 600MW,” he said.