Nothing to do but count the days

Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Iqbal Hasan Mahmud has said there is no alternative but to wait for the ongoing crisis to be resolved until repairs to the floating LNG terminal, or FSRU, are completed. He made the remarks while joining an online dialogue organized by the research organization Centre for Policy Dialogue, or CPD, at BRAC Centre in Mohakhali on Thursday.

Iqbal Hasan said the government is making every possible effort to support the country's industries and power generation.

“We are working. There is actually nothing to do during this crisis. Because now I cannot extract gas, and I cannot even unload the gas that I have.”

The dialogue was titled “Navigating Bangladesh Energy Crisis: Immediate Priorities and the Path to a Sustainable Energy Future.” The Power Minister was the chief guest at the event.

He said the ongoing crisis began after a fire broke out at the floating LNG terminal. However, he said the scope for taking direct action in dealing with the institutional crisis is limited.

“Now I have nothing to do but count the days. The engineers are working at the FSRU, and there is nothing I can do apart from that. There is also some management work to be done so that load shedding can be reduced and I can provide gas to the industries. This management is being done.”

Iqbal Hasan said engineers from the United Kingdom and Singapore are working on repairs to the LNG terminal. He said two new boilers will have to be started simultaneously after the repairs are completed. He also warned that the entire system will have to remain shut down continuously for 72 hours for technical coordination. According to the minister, this will temporarily create a severe gas shortage in the country.

Regarding long term plans, the minister said the government has planned to install three more FSRUs at Payra, Mongla and Hiron Point by 2029. An order has already been placed for a new FSRU. At the same time, permission has been given to a company to operate 30 container trucks to transport gas from Bhola in order to maintain gas supplies to industries. He also confirmed that discussions are underway with a Malaysian company regarding the technology and facilities needed to receive gas directly in containers.

In his remarks, Iqbal Hasan referred to battery powered rickshaws as “the poor man's Tesla.”

“Most of these are charged after midnight through illegal connections. As a result, the peak period of electricity consumption is shifting to midnight, and total demand is rising to around 18,000 megawatts. Government employees are being attacked in many places while trying to disconnect these illegal connections.”

The minister said the crisis has been aggravated by rumors about oil at various times. He made it clear that no particular organization is being given a monopoly over the oil business. Rather, he said, a new policy is being formulated so that private companies can also import oil subject to certain conditions.

At the Centre for Policy Dialogue dialogue, a keynote paper was presented by the organization's Senior Research Associate Fakhruddin Al Kabir.

Others who took part included Bangladesh Chamber of Industries President Anwar Ul Alam Chowdhury Parvez, Bangladesh Independent Power Producers Association President David Hasnat, Bangladesh Sustainable and Renewable Energy Association President Mostafa Al Mahmud, energy expert Professor Ijaz Hossain, CPD Board of Trustees member Syed Nasim Manzur, North South University Department of Economics Professor Sakib Bin Amin, and Dhaka University Department of Accounting and Information Systems Associate Professor Moshahida Sultana, among others.

The event was chaired by CPD Executive Director Fahmida Khatun.