Government of BanglaDesh plans to expand LPG use to end energy crisis

The energy ministry recently held a meeting with the country's LPG marketers to have a clear picture of the overall marketing networks of this petroleum gas and its prospects to ease the country's perennial energy supply crunch. "We also urged them to strengthen their marketing in the country to woo people to use LPG especially for cooking," energy secretary Mohammad Mohsin said. He added, augmentation of the LPG users could be a good option to slim down the extent of the country's energy crisis.

The state-owned largest gas marketing and distribution company Titas also came up with a set of recommendations, including introduction of holiday staggering in industries and closure of CNG-filling stations for at least two days in a week to cope with the gas supply shortfall. Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company (TGTDC) also pinpointed the necessity to reduce gas supplies to a number of power plants and fertiliser factories, including that of Sidhhirganj power plant and Ghorasal fertiliser factory.

Country's overall gas production is now hovering around 1960 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) but gas supply shortage only Titas's areas is over 200 mmcfd, said a senior Titas official. The government, however, believes around 70 mmcfd of gas could be saved by execution of the government plan.

Pointing to the government plan of LPG expansion Syed Mahmudul Haq, a top official of a leading LPG marketing company, said: "expansion of LPG markets would not be possible overnight as the LPG importers are facing tough challenges running businesses here."