Bangladesh: Gas for Power Generation

One leading Bangladesh daily has published a report underlining the anticipated gas supply deficit to meet the emerging crisis for fueling the planned power plants. The report stated that the Government is contemplating setting up of a dozen power plants of 3570 MW capacity in the next 3-5 Years to mitigate the present huge deficit and immediate future demand. Acknowledging the present uncertain situation of gas supply and lack of exploration efforts the report suggested for import of gas from Myanmar to comfort the situation. This may be analyzed a little deeper to see what may the options to overcome the situations.
The present production capacity of 74 wells of 17 producing gas fields at this moment is 1760 MMCFD. The daily production now varies around 1700 MMCFD. Possibly due to capacity constraint of North –South and R-A loop line the Jalalabad Gas field can not deliver to its capacity. Chevron also can not increase production from Bibiyana due to this constraint. When the author operated the national grid repeated pleas were made in 2004 to set up compressor stations at Muchai and Asuganj to facilitate evacuation of this additional production. Wonder why that initiative got so much delayed that the contracts for the stations are not signed yet in more than 3years. Even if the contract for the Compressors is signed now the stations may not be in operation before 2009. So the probable additional 300 MMCFDor more from Bibiyana and any increase from potential suppliers in North –Eastern corridor may not be available till 2009. But there will be hungry market in Meghnaghat area, eastern and western side of Jamuna River and most specifically in Chittagong.

We must not panic. There will be crisis. We must have contingency planning for crisis management. The situation we are in is the consequence of managing the professional matters with politically favored non professionals. See who ere the director (Planning) over the years. They never had any clue how to make perspective planning of a sector which delivers the life blood of national economy. Our planning process is wrong.

Energy Bangla