Category: Energy and Power

In a significant development, Pakistan has been advised to delay any commitment to gas intake from Turkmenistan under the TurkmenistanAfghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline project until at least 2031, The News reported on Friday.

The recommendation, by international energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie, comes as Pakistan is already facing a surplus of imported LNG, due to a dramatic decline in domestic gas consumption, a senior official from the Ministry of Energy told the scribe.

The advisory has sparked urgent deliberations within the Petroleum Division, where senior officials are now seriously considering either notifying Turkmenistan of a potential deferment or even withdrawing from the $13 billion TAPI gas pipeline.

The warning comes amid growing challenges in managing Pakistan’s existing LNG contracts and infrastructure.

Ba n g l a d e s h ‘ s liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification has reached almost the saturation level to around 1,053 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) with the country’s two operational floating-storage and regasification units (FSRUs) running at 95.72-per cent capacity. With the present infrastructure the country has the capacity to re-gasify around 1,100 mmcfd in maximum, provided that both the FSRUs run in full capacity, a senior Petropangla official said. Currently, the FSRU, owned by US’s Excelerate Energy, has the capacity to re-gasify around 600 mmcfd of LNG and Summit Group’s FSRU has a capacity of 500 mmcfd.

To utilize both the FSRUs in full swing, Bangladesh will need to import 115 LNG cargoes in a year, said the official.

The state-run Petrobangla is importing a total of 108 LNG cargoes this year (2025), the highest number in a single year.

It has planned to import seven additional LNG cargoes to reach the saturation level for supplying natural gas to gasstarved state-run fertilizer factories.

The interim government is currently in talks with Saudi oil giant Aramco to ink a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to ensure cooperation in the energy sector.

State-run Petrobangla has already prepared a draft of the MoU, which is currently being vetted by the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. “We are eyeing to ink the MoU with Aramco to ensure cooperation in the energy sector, especially for importing liquefied natural gas (LNG), refined petroleum products, etc,” said a senior Petrobangla official.

Afire broke out recently at a Russian nuclear power plant after the country’s military downed a Ukrainian drone, the facility said after the blaze was put out.

The “device detonated” upon impact at the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant in western Russia, sparking a blaze which the facility said “was extinguished by fire crews”.

There were no casualties from the drone smashing down at the site, where capacity was reduced. “The radiation background at the industrial site of the Kursk NPP and the surrounding area has not changed and corresponds to natural levels,” the plant wrote on Telegram.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly warned of the dangers of fighting around nuclear plants following Russia’s military offensive on Ukraine in February 2022.

Energy experts at an energy talk in the capital on 23 August urged Bangladesh to phase out fossil fuels and ensure a just transition to renewable energy.

A group of nine green platforms organized the energy talk at the Liberation War Museum. “Renewable energy is cheaper and makes sense to be used for development for its sustainability,” said Khondaker Golam Moazzem,research director, Centre for Policy Dialogue, a non-government think-tank.

Over the years, Bangladesh pursued a flawed economic forecast and energy policy, ending up in overwhelming reliance on fossil fuel use, he said.

The result proved to be devastating, with a massive amount of money spent on paying capacity charges to idle power plants, requiring the payment of huge energy subsidies, he said.

Excessive expenditures, however, failed to reduce the country’s energy crisis, with frequent power outages occurring, affecting life and business, the energy expert said.

The energy talk was attended by over 200 students.

Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant (2×660 MW) at Rampal, Bagerhat, a thermal Power plant of BIFPCL, set a new benchmark by generating 771.70 million units of electricity at a PLF of 78.58% in August 2025.

This is the highest monthly output since its commissioning, contributing 7.62% of Bangladesh’s total generation of 10,100 million units.

For the last three consecutive months, the plant has been consistently generating over 600 million units, totaling 2,036.4 million units. Despite reliance on imported fuel, its scale, efficiency, and consistent performance enable Bangladesh to access stable and comparatively affordable electricity, supporting industries, boosting investor confidence, and reducing the risk of supply disruptions.

Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan said the required financing and technological assistance for adaptation are still far from adequate. ‘As a deltaic and lower riparian country, Bangladesh is among the most climatevulnerable nations.

Our people are showing resilience and courage in the face of repeated disasters, but our capacity is being stretched due to insufficient mitigation efforts and inadequate international support,’ she said.

The Adviser made the remarks while speaking at an event titled ‘ B i o p h i l i a : R e c o n n e c t i n g People, Climate, and Culture’ hosted by the Embassy of Switzerland recently as part of its commitment to action against the climate crisis.

Biophilia showcased how community-led initiatives are best placed to address the impact of climate change on left behind communities, said the Embassy.

The day-long festival was also an opportunity to promote the Swiss-supported Climate Action at Local Level (CALL) program. Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Fouzlul Kabir Khan attended as the chief reciter of the climate oath.

Officials and employees of 80 Palli Bidyut Samities (PBS) across the country have announced an indefinite sit-in protest, demanding withdrawal of dismissal orders and an end to what they described as harassment by the Rural Electrification Board (REB).

The announcement was made at a press conference at the Crime Reporters Association auditorium in Dhaka recently, where Deputy General Manager Mahfuzur Rahman read out a written statement.

Rahman alleged that the REB has failed to fulfil promises on structural reforms and resolution of professional issues.

Instead, the board has continued punitive actions, including dismissals, attachments, and harassment of staff.

On 17, 27, and 28 August alone, 30 officials and employees faced dismissal or disciplinary orders.

Employees also instructed staff to ensure an uninterrupted electricity supply and maintain customer services during the protest.

The country’s falling gas production continues to plague the industries, seriously threatening exports and e m p l o y m e n t generation.

The interim government has hiked LNG imports to address the crisis, but the move is far from being enough.

The industry leaders are calling on the government to take urgent steps to mitigate the crisis, or else.

Even four years ago, the country’s daily gas production ranged between 2,300 and 2,400 million cubic feet. Now, it has fallen to only 1,700 million cubic feet per day on average, impacting vehicle refueling services, power stations, residents and industries.

According to Petrobangla, the daily demand is over 4,200 million cubic feet, but only 2,830 million cubic feet was produced recently.

The crisis is leaving industries with underutilized goods production capacity, which is increasing production cost and trimming export potentials.

Investors are also discouraged by the crisis, leading to reduced business growth and falling employment prospects.

Recently, BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan met Mohammad Saiful Islam, secretary at the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, at the Secretariat.

There he placed five recommendations to alleviate the gas crisis.

The Bangladesh Sustainable and Renewable Energy Association (BSREA) and the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently at CIRDAP headquarters in Dhaka.

This agreement marks the first-ever partnership between a regional intergovernmental organization and a national renewable energy association to jointly promote rural development through clean energy across Asia and the Pacific.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mostafa Al Mahmud, President of BSREA, stated, ‘This partnership is both timely and significant.

Together with CIRDAP, we aim to empower farmers, cooperatives, and rural entrepreneurs by replacing diesel irrigation pumps, promoting solar households and villages, and introducing wind turbines in coastal areas.

This MoU will accelerate our shared commitment to sustainable livelihoods and climate resilience.’