Bangladesh’s national energy grid has suffered a significant setback as operations at Excelerate Energy’s Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) came to an abrupt halt on Wednesday afternoon following the complete depletion of its Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) reserves. The unexpected shutdown has severely worsened an ongoing gas supply deficit, forcing state authorities to rely almost exclusively on the country’s remaining operational terminal, managed by Summit Group, off the coast of Moheshkhali.
Operational Disruption and Grid Depletion
According to operational data released by Petrobangla, the state-owned oil and gas corporation, national distribution capacity experienced a sharp decline within a span of six hours. At 12:00 PM on Wednesday, total gas injection into the national transmission system stood at 2,289 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d). This comprised 1,628 million cubic feet harvested from domestic onshore fields and 661 million cubic feet of re-gasified LNG supplied by the two offshore terminals.
By 6:00 PM, total throughput had fallen to 2,189 MMcf/d, marking an immediate net loss of 100 million cubic feet. Officials from Rupantarita Grammeen Power Company Limited (RPGCL), the Petrobangla subsidiary tasked with overseeing LNG imports, confirmed that Excelerate’s offshore terminal exhausted its remaining reserves at precisely 2:40 PM, completely severing its supply to the national pipeline network. Summit Group’s terminal remains operational, currently feeding roughly 560 MMcf/d into the pipeline system to maintain basic grid integrity.
Technical Missteps and Logistics Failure
The breakdown in supply highlights a precarious balance between technical maintenance and supply chain synchronization. Industry officials noted that Excelerate Energy had originally requested a 72-hour operational pause to repair a faulty boiler system on the unit. Although engineering teams managed to resolve the boiler issues ahead of schedule, the temporary operational pause disrupted the precise arrival window for incoming cargo vessels.
By the time the terminal was ready to recommence regasification, the scheduled LNG tanker had failed to dock, leaving the facility devoid of feedstock. Bangladesh relies heavily on a dual-track import model combining long-term contracts from suppliers like Qatar and Oman with volatile spot-market purchases. When vessel schedules slip even by a few days, floating terminals quickly run dry due to limited onboard storage capacity.
Industrial Fallout and Emergency Procurement
The timing of this depletion presents acute challenges for Bangladesh’s power sector and manufacturing hubs. Industrial zones in Chittagong, Narayanganj, and Gazipur have already been contending with low gas pressure, which hampers textile production, fertilizer manufacturing, and power generation. Energy experts indicate that Petrobangla may be compelled to enter the spot market to procure emergency cargoes at inflated prices to bridge the immediate shortfall.
Current grid stability hinges heavily on the scheduled arrival of the next LNG carrier on 23 August. Should that shipment face any further maritime or administrative delays, energy rationing across industrial and domestic sectors will inevitably intensify.
