Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has sought assistance from Malaysia to mitigate the ongoing fuel crisis caused by the breakdown of the floating LNG terminal (FSRU) in Moheshkhali.
In a telephone conversation on Tuesday afternoon, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim assured his Bangladeshi counterpart that he would consult relevant ministries and officials to determine how Malaysia could provide support.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit shared these details during a briefing at his office in the Secretariat.
He noted that the prime minister had sent a letter to Anwar Ibrahim on Monday, which was delivered in Malaysia on Tuesday by the Prime Minister’s Education Advisor, Mahdee Amin.
The letter formally requested Malaysia’s cooperation in bridging the gap between gas demand and supply in Bangladesh.
“They will inform us if there are opportunities for immediate solutions,” Amit said, adding that discussions also touched upon resource sharing, expertise, and advice alongside LNG supply.
The crisis escalated after a fire broke out at the Moheshkhali FSRU on 21 July, resulting in technical glitches that forced the terminal to shut down. The fire damaged the terminal’s electrical and control systems, as well as various data cables.
Operated by Excelerate Energy, the terminal usually supplies 500 to 600 million cubic feet (MMcf/d) of gas daily. Its closure has resulted in a daily deficit of approximately 450 MMcf/d in the national grid.
Earlier on Tuesday, Energy Division officials met with senior regional representatives of Excelerate Energy, including Vice President Aziz Kasim. The company expressed regret for the situation and presented their action plan to resolve the issue.
According to Amit, if the repairs proceed according to Excelerate Energy’s plan, the terminal could resume supplying 280 to 300 MMcf/d of gas by the beginning of next week. Officials expect the FSRU to be fully operational by the end of the following week.
Experts from the United Kingdom, Romania, and Singapore are currently assisting local engineers with the repair work.
Amit also revealed that discussions have been held with a Japanese delegation regarding energy cooperation and the construction of a land-based LNG terminal. He highlighted that the lack of alternatives has left the country vulnerable, with the malfunction of a single FSRU causing widespread suffering.
Notably, a joint statement issued following Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to Malaysia on 22 June emphasised cooperation in LNG infrastructure and petroleum products, including direct talks between the Malaysian state energy company Petronas and Petrobangla.
