'National grid to get 80M cubic feet of gas in 2-3 months'

Prime Minister's Energy Advisor Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi has said that within the next two to three months, 80 million cubic feet of gas will be added to the national grid.

He said: "Within the next two to three months, 80 million cubic feet of gas will be shipped from the Bhola gas field and added to the national grid."

Tawfiq-e-Elahi said this while speaking at a discussion meeting on "Mitigation of the Impact of Energy Crisis on the Industrial Sector" organised by Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI) on Sunday. 

He said: "If we import 200 MMcf of gas for the next six months at the current spot market rate, it will cost about $1.2 billion more than long-term LNG. But the government is not in a position to invest this amount." 

"None of us know in which direction the global situation will go. So everyone should be prepared," Tawfiq-e-Elahi added. 

He also said that some coal-based power plants will come into production by next December.

"Then we can reduce the gas supply for electricity generation and give some gas for industrial use. If the situation does not improve after this, then we might have to refrain from using any electricity during the day if necessary," PM's energy adviser further said.