No decision yet on floating LNG terminal on Moheskhali

Energy Division wants to hold talks with other companies although Petrobangla has prepared shortlist
lng-terminal

The Energy and Mineral Resources Division (EMRD) is still undecided over setting up the country’s first floating storage and re-gasification unit (FSRU), widely known as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal, on Moheskhali Island in Cox’s Bazar to facilitate the import of 500million cubic feet per day (mmcfd).

Though Petrobangla has already recommended one of its shortlisted companies for the project, the energy division wanted to hold talks with several other companies before awarding the project. The EMRD held a meeting at its office on Monday.

“It’s too late already. We want to build the FSRU quickly. Though its development project proposal (DPP) has not been approved yet, we hope it will be in the next Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC),” Mozammel Haque Khan, secretary of EMRD, told the Dhaka Tribune on Monday.

“We have to think about establishing a gas transmission line at the same time. Petrobangla has already recommended a company for signing the agreement to build the FSRU, but the energy division wants to discuss the issue with other companies as well.” he said.

Meanwhile, state-owned Petrobangla has been looking for a contractor to install the terminal on Moheshkhali Island in the Bay of Bengal, under a build-own-operate-transfer basis for 15 years.

Separately, state-owned Gas Transmission Company Limited (GTCL) moved to lay a 91km Moheshkhali-Anowara gas transmission pipeline to carry re-gasified LNG from the terminal to shore.

Petrobangla even held meetings with the shortlisted firm, US-based Astra Oil and Excelerate Energy Consortium (AE) on a couple of occasions in this regard.

Later, it recommended the firm to the ministry to strike a deal for the FSRU, under the Speedy Supply of Power and Energy (Special Provision) Act.

The AE has agreed to transfer FSRU to Petrobangla without any cost after 15 years with re-gasification tariff at $0.39 per mmcfd.

The terminal will have a capacity to handle five million tonnes of LNG per year and a re-gasification capacity of at least 500mmcfd.

The purpose of establishing the terminal is to import LNG, so the country does not face any sudden energy crisis due to supply shortfall in near future, sources said.

The country has recently been facing an acute gas crisis, as the daily production of gas was around 2,300mmcfd against a demand of 3000mmcfd.

So far, a few countries including Qatar have been considered as the primary source for the gas.

Source: Dhaka Tribune

The Energy and Mineral Resources Division (EMRD) is still undecided over setting up the country’s first floating storage and re-gasification unit (FSRU), widely known as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal, on Moheskhali Island in Cox’s Bazar to facilitate the import of 500million cubic feet per day (mmcfd).

Though Petrobangla has already recommended one of its shortlisted companies for the project, the energy division wanted to hold talks with several other companies before awarding the project. The EMRD held a meeting at its office on Monday.

“It’s too late already. We want to build the FSRU quickly. Though its development project proposal (DPP) has not been approved yet, we hope it will be in the next Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC),” Mozammel Haque Khan, secretary of EMRD, told the Dhaka Tribune on Monday.

“We have to think about establishing a gas transmission line at the same time. Petrobangla has already recommended a company for signing the agreement to build the FSRU, but the energy division wants to discuss the issue with other companies as well.” he said.

Meanwhile, state-owned Petrobangla has been looking for a contractor to install the terminal on Moheshkhali Island in the Bay of Bengal, under a build-own-operate-transfer basis for 15 years.

Separately, state-owned Gas Transmission Company Limited (GTCL) moved to lay a 91km Moheshkhali-Anowara gas transmission pipeline to carry re-gasified LNG from the terminal to shore.

Petrobangla even held meetings with the shortlisted firm, US-based Astra Oil and Excelerate Energy Consortium (AE) on a couple of occasions in this regard.

Later, it recommended the firm to the ministry to strike a deal for the FSRU, under the Speedy Supply of Power and Energy (Special Provision) Act.

The AE has agreed to transfer FSRU to Petrobangla without any cost after 15 years with re-gasification tariff at $0.39 per mmcfd.

The terminal will have a capacity to handle five million tonnes of LNG per year and a re-gasification capacity of at least 500mmcfd.

The purpose of establishing the terminal is to import LNG, so the country does not face any sudden energy crisis due to supply shortfall in near future, sources said.

The country has recently been facing an acute gas crisis, as the daily production of gas was around 2,300mmcfd against a demand of 3000mmcfd.

So far, a few countries including Qatar have been considered as the primary source for the gas.

– See more at: http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2013/nov/20/no-decision-yet-floating-lng-terminal-moheskhali#sthash.BiZPo6jr.dpuf