2024-03-15 12:42:03
The Cabinet Committee on Government Procurement has approved 18 procurement proposals including 4 separate proposals for supply of 4 cargoes of LNG to meet the growing gas demand in the country. The total cost will be 14 thousand 118 crore 47 lakh taka.
The proposals were approved in the committee meeting held on Thursday (March 14) under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali. Committee members, senior secretaries of cabinet departments, secretaries of concerned ministries and senior officers were present in the meeting. At the end of the meeting, the additional secretary of the cabinet department gave this information.
For the last few years, LNG has to be imported from abroad. As part of this, the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources has taken the initiative to import 4 cargoes of LNG through four separate quotations. The total cost will be 1 thousand 637 crore 43 lakh 22 thousand taka. Of these, Accelerate Energy LP of the US will supply 1 cargo, Singapore-based Gunvar Pvt Ltd one cargo and Singapore’s Vital Asia 2 cargoes of LNG.
According to sources, two floating LNG terminals with a capacity of 500 mmcf per day and 600 mmcf per day have been set up at Maheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar to meet the existing and increasing gas demand of the country. A total of 3.5 MTPL of LNG is currently being imported from Qatargas for a period of 15 years and 1.0 MTPL for a period of 10 years from Oman under the agreement signed with Petrobangla on G-to-G basis through these two terminals. Apart from this, LNG is also being purchased from the spot market besides importing LNG on a long-term basis for uninterrupted gas supply to power, industry and fertilizer plants in the country. Accordingly, the Minister of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources (Prime Minister) has given in-principle approval for the purchase of a total of 13 cargoes of LNG from the spot market from January to June 2024. As part of this, US-based Accelerate Energy LP will supply one cargo of LNG to the lowest bidder at USD 9.7858 per unit of LNG. It will cost 423 crore 16 lakh 93 thousand 65 taka.
Apart from this, one cargo of LNG will be supplied by Singapore based M/s Gunavar Pvt Ltd in the same manner. The price per unit is 9.3690 US dollars and it will cost 405 crore 14 lakh 55 thousand 408 taka. One cargo of LNG from Singapore-based Vital Asia will cost 409 crores 51 lakhs 31 thousand 44 taka per unit of LNG at USD 9.4700. Another cargo of LNG will be procured from the same company i.e. Vital Asia at USD 9.2388 per unit of LNG. It will cost 39 crore 51 lakh 52 thousand 761 taka.
The meeting also approved a proposal to appoint a consultant for the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Water Management Project at a cost of Tk 33 crore 75 lakh 75 thousand 750.