Excelerate Energy has announced that on December 28, 2024, it safely completed its 3,000th ship-to-ship (STS) LNG transfer since the start of STS operations in 2007. The milestone was achieved onboard Excelerate’s floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) Excellence at the Moheshkhali Floating LNG (MLNG) terminal in Bangladesh, said the U.S.-based LNG company located in The Woodlands, Texas. “This milestone is a testament to our unwavering commitment to safety, reliability, and innovation in the LNG industry. It is not just a number. It symbolizes years of relentless effort, continuous improvement, and the highest standards of operational excellence,” said David Liner, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Excelerate Energy. President and Chief Executive Officer Steven Kobos said, “We completed our 3,000th ship-to-ship operation in Bangladesh, where we are helping fuel economic growth by delivering more than a third of the country’s natural gas needs. LNG supply period extended for 7 companies He congratulated Excellence’s outstanding crew, Bangladeshi partners, and every member of the Excelerate Energy team for making this accomplishment possible. Launched by Excelerate Energy and the International Finance Corporation in 2018, the MLNG terminal plays a vital role in ensuring the energy security of Bangladesh. With a capacity of up to 600 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, MLNG provides a reliable source of energy supporting industrial development and job creation in a more sustainable manner.

The government will import rice and LNG to meet the demands of the domestic market, it's been decided. The Advisors Council Committee on Government Purchase (ACCGP), in a meeting with Finance Advisor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair, approved two separate proposals in this regard. As per a proposal, moved by the Ministry of Food, the Food Directorate will import 50,000 Metric Tons (MT) of non-basmati parboiled rice from India through an international open tender. Bagadiya Brothers Limited of India will supply the bulk rice at a cost of Tk 275.30 crore, with each kg at Tk 55.06. Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Minerals Corporation-Petrobangla will import one cargo of LNG from the international spot market through quotation. Excelerate Energy PLC of United States will supply the LNG cargo at a cost of Tk 752.50 crore, with each MMBtu at $15.69. After the meeting, Finance Advisor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed told reporters that the government will not bring any change in the duty structure of essential commodities until the end of the upcoming month of holy Ramadan which is expected to begin from March 1. No change in duties until Ramadan ends: Finance Adviser Responding to a question on ensuring adequate supply of essential commodities at affordable price during the Ramadan, the advisor said that the government had already imported chickpeas, lentils, and dates. The price of Soybean oil has come to a reasonable level. “If necessary, the government will take further measures in regard to the price of soybean oil”, he said. He said that the government has been giving priority on market monitoring. “The market monitoring has to be intensified. Only application of Consumer Protection Act is not enough to contain the prices”. He mentioned that the price of onion has already come down to Tk 40 per kg from Tk 200. In our country, prices of goods frequently go up and down while prices remain stable in developed countries.

The Advisory Council Committee on Economic Affairs (ACCEA) has approved the extension of the LNG supply contracts for seven companies. These companies will continue to supply LNG (liquefied natural gas) from the international spot market. Petrobangla, the state-owned company, has been importing LNG from these companies under the Master Sale and Purchase Agreement (MSPA). As part of the proposal, the ACCEA also approved the use of LSP software for LNG imports until March, 2025. Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed presided over the meeting. Decision to award SPM’s O&M contract to CPPEC set to be revoked   According to meeting sources, Petrobangla has been importing LNG from 23 listed companies that have signed MSPAs and operate in the international spot market. The LNG is imported through international tenders under Rule-85 of the ‘Public Procurement Rule (PPR)-2008’. Out of these companies, the contract period with eight companies ended on December 17, 2024, while the contract period of six companies will end on February 2, 2025. Meanwhile, MSPA agreements with 27 new companies are in process and will take approximately 45 more days to be finalised. In light of this, the ACCEA approved in principle the extension of contract periods and the use of LSP software with 16 of the existing 23 companies that have signed MSPAs. This measure is aimed at meeting the urgent gas needs of the country’s power, industry, and fertilizer sectors until March 2025. Besides, the Advisory Council Committee on Government Purchase (ACCGP) approved a proposal from Petrobangla to import one LNG cargo from the international spot market. The South Korean firm, Posco International Corporation, will supply the LNG cargo at a cost of Tk 692.99 crore, with a price of $14.69 per MMBtu.

The government will procure lentil, loose soybean oil, loose palm oil, LNG, fertiliser, crude and refined petroleum oil. The Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase in a meeting, with Finance Advisor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair, approved a number of proposals of different ministries in this regard on Wednesday. It also approved printing of textbooks for students. Approving the proposals, Dr Salehuddin Ahmed said the government has been promptly approving different proposals to buy essential commodities which reflects the cordial intention of the government to keep the market stable through ensuring smooth supply. Govt to procure rice, sugar, lentil, fertilizer for domestic needs As per proposals, moved by the Commerce Ministry, the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will purchase 10,000 metric tons (MT) of lentils, 38.10 lakh litres of loose soybean oil, 1.10 lakh litres of palm oil for its Open Market Sale Programme. Of these, the Nabil Naba Foods Limited won a contract through open tender to supply 10,000 MT of lentil at Tk 95.97 crore with each kg at Tk 95.97. Each bag will contain 50 kg lentils. S Alam Super Edible Oil Ltd will supply 38.10 lakh litres of refined loose soybean oil under direct purchase method (DPM) at a cost of Tk 53.34 crore, with each litre at Tk 140 while the same company will supply 1.10 lakh refined loose palm oil at a cost of Tk 143 crore with each litre at Tk 130. The Bangladesh Oil Gas and Petroleum Corporation – Petrobangla will import one cargo of LNG through international quotation from the international spot market. TCB to procure soybean oil, sugar, lentil to sell through OMS Vitol Asia Pte. Ltd, Singapore will supply the cargo at a cost of Tk 708.55 crore, with each MMBtu at $15.02.The Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) will import 600,000 MT of Murban Crude petroleum from Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) of UAE at a cost of Tk 5208.364 crore for the year 2025 while it will import 700,000 MT of Arabian Light Crude (ALC) from Saudi Arabian Oil Company (SAUDI ARAMCO) at a cost of Tk 6025.206 crore.The committee also approved a proposal to import refined petroleum through international; quotation from Unipec Singapore Pte Ltd', Singapore; Vitol Asia Pte-Ltd., Singapore and Co OQ Trading Limited, Dubai' UAE at a cost of Tk 1070.164 crore,. But quantity was not mentioned in the brief proposal. The Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) will import 30,000 MT of bulk granular urea fertilizer at Tk 223.23 crore from SABIC Agri-nutrients Company, Saudi Arabia. Govt to procure 55,000 MT soybean oil for OMS The Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) will import 30,000 MT of MOP fertiliser from JSC Foreign Economic corporation "Prodintorg at Tk 104.31 crore, 40,000 MT of DAP fertiliser from OCP NUTRCROPS of Morocco at Tk 280.68 crore, another 30,000 MT of TSP at Tk 252.46 crore from the NUTRCROPS of Morocco. The committee also approved awarding of contracts to different suppliers for printing and supplying of textbooks to distribute those among the students at free of cost.

Excelerate Energy, Inc. has announced that it has delivered two cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the month of November to Petrobangla through the company’s two floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) located offshore Moheshkhali Island. “Excelerate Energy is pleased to help fuel Bangladesh’s economy through its flexible infrastructure and the delivery of affordable LNG supply,” said Steven Kobos, President and Chief Executive Officer of Excelerate, in a statement on Sunday. “We are proud to have won this contract to provide LNG through an open and fair tender process where we offered the most competitive price,” he added. Excelerate Energy has operated LNG infrastructure in Bangladesh since 2018, in partnership with the International Finance Corporation. The Company’s FSRUs in the Bay of Bengal deliver approximately 34% of Bangladesh’s natural gas supply.  

Petrobangla is going to make a fresh list of international spot market LNG supply companies through an open tender by next week. "The tender is ready for circulation in the media and hopefully the notice will be published in the first half of the next week", Petrobangla Chairman Zanendra Nath Sarker told UNB. He noted that this time an open tender will be floated to make a fresh list of the LNG suppliers through a transparent process. Bangladesh has been importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the international spot market since 2019 to meet its growing gas demands. To ensure a smooth supply, as per instruction of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, the Petrobangla and its LNG handling subsidiary Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Limited (RPGCL) invited expressions of interest from the international companies to enlist them with the authorities concerned. Initially, 17 companies were listed on the basis of the Speedy Increase of Power and Energy Supply Act 2010 and then 5 more companies were added to the list. From these companies, Petrobangla has been importing the LNG from the international spot market. But every time, it was seen that again and again a number of certain companies are getting contracts and dominating the business. These companies include Vitol Asia of Singapore, TotalEnergies of Switzerland, Excelerate Energy of USA, and Gunvor Singapore. Read: Govt approves bulk imports of rice, wheat, sugar, LNG, fertiliser Of these, there are allegations; some of the companies had business interests with former ministers and state ministers of the fallen Awami League government and also some local business groups. After the fall of the Awami League government, when the interim government assumed office, it decided to suspend the Speedy Increase of Power and Energy Supply Act 2010 and instead import the LNG from the spot market under the Public Procurement Rule 2008. It also decided to scrap the list of the companies soon to bring transparency in the bulk import of LNG as the government has to spend more than a billion dollars to import the LNG. As part of the decision, finally the Petrobangla moves to prepare a fresh list of the interested companies through an open and transparent process. "We have decided once the new list of the companies is prepared, we will cancel the previous list of the 23 companies", said the Petrobangla. Energy industry insiders said that the new move will encourage more reputed international companies to supply LNG to Bangladesh from the international spot market. "This will also facilitate to get LNG at a much lower rate which will ultimately reduce the energy cost of the government", said an energy expert wishing anonymity. Bangladesh has been experiencing huge gas crisis as it produces 3100 MMCFD Gas per day against a demand of about 4000 MMCFD. Read more: Govt approves LNG and fertilizer import proposals Of the total production of 3100 MMCFD, some 1100 MMCFD gas is being imported from abroad of which 150-200 MMCFD gas is imported from the spot market while remaining is imported from Qatar and Oman under long term contract.

The Advisors’ Council Committee on Government Purchase (ACCGP) has approved several key proposals for the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fertilizer to meet domestic demands. In a meeting held on Thursday, chaired virtually by Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, who is currently on a visit to the USA, the committee gave the go-ahead to the proposals. The Energy and Mineral Resources Division submitted two proposals on behalf of state-owned Petrobangla for the procurement of two LNG cargoes from the international spot market under the Public Procurement Rules 2008. Govt cancels deal with Summit Group on setting up new LNG terminal TotalEnergies Gas & Power Ltd., Switzerland, will supply one LNG cargo containing 33.66 lakh MMBtu at a cost of Tk 657.61 crore, with each MMBtu priced at $13.94. The same company will provide a second cargo of the same volume, costing Tk 640.15 crore, with each MMBtu priced slightly lower at $13.57. In addition, the ACCGP approved a proposal from the Ministry of Agriculture to import 30,000 metric tons of MOP fertilizer from Russia. The state-owned Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) will handle the import from Russia's JSC Foreign Economic Corporation Prodintorg, with the total cost amounting to Tk 104.31 crore, at $289.75 per metric ton. Purchase body approves proposals to import of LNG, lentil, and fertiliser

Bangladesh and Qatar want to expand the existing ties with broader cooperation in the areas of manpower, energy, trade and investment following the planned visit of Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Bangladesh next month. The two countries are in discussion to finalise nearly a dozen of cooperation documents which will be signed during the visit, said a source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two-day visit is likely to take place on April 21-22, he said.  The two sides are now working on the MoUs and agreements that will be signed after the Emir’s meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Cease-fire talks with Israel and Hamas are expected to resume Sunday in Qatar The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already held an inter-ministerial meeting to discuss various aspects of the visit. In March last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had a meeting with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC5) in Doha. She sought increased energy, particularly LNG, from Qatar to meet the energy demands. The State of Qatar recognised Bangladesh as a sovereign State on March 4, 1974 following the 2nd OIC Summit held in February 1974. Qatar assures support for Bangladesh's media sector development Bangladesh opened its diplomatic mission in Doha on June 25, 1975. The State of Qatar reciprocated by opening its diplomatic mission in Dhaka in 1982. Bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Qatar are based on mutual respect, shared values, common religious ground, shared culture, and tradition. People-to-people contacts bolstered by more than four hundred thousand Bangladeshi workers who are highly appreciated as disciplined and hardworking is one of the dominant features of bilateral relations, according to the MoFA. Bangladesh and Qatar consider each other as brotherly countries and important development partners in materialising Bangladesh’s Vision 2041 and Qatar’s vision 2030. Read more: Bangladesh ambassador accredited to Hungary presents credentials to Hungarian president

The government will import a cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG), having 33.66 lakh MMBtu, from the Vitol Asia Pte Ltd of Singapore at a cost Tk 429.40 crore to meet the growing gas demand in the country. Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) in a meeting, with Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali in the chair, approved a proposal of state-owned Petrobangla in this regard. As per the proposal, placed by the Energy and Mineral Resources on behalf of the Petrobangla, each unit of the LNG will cost $9.93, a price lowest in last two years. Govt to procure LNG, fertiliser, lentil and edible oil After the meeting, Additional Secretary of the Cabinet Division Syed Mahmud Khan informed the reporters that the supplier was selected from the limited listed companies through a bidding in the international spot market under Master Sale and Purchase Agreement (MSPA). The Rapid Increase in Supply of Electricity and Energy (Special Provisions) Act 2010 (Amendment 2021) was followed in this regard. Sources in the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry said that Bangladesh has planned to import a total of 13 LNG cargoes from January to June this year. This has been the second cargo as the first one was given approval in the last week’s meeting on  January 22 under which Switzerland-based company 'TotalEnergies Gas and Power Limited' will supply a cargo having the same volume 33.66 lakh MMBtu with each unit price  $10.88. Gas supply to Ctg, elsewhere starts improving as LNG terminal resumes production Earlier the government signed 'Master Sale and Purchase' Agreement (MSPA) with 22 shortlisted companies  to import LNG from the international spot market. Imports of LNG from the spot market were suspended from July 2022 to January 2023 as the price of LNG from the spot market increased many times while the government was facing dollar crisis. Currently, the country has been experiencing a severe gas crisis as production came down to nearly 2500 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) while the demand is about 4000 mmcfd. As a result, household consumers in many areas are not getting gas for cooking while power and industrial productions are being seriously disrupted due to gas shortage.  In the meantime, the government increased the gas price for both captive power and public sector power generation on January 18, 2023. Cabinet body nods import of refined petroleum, LNG  Through an order, the price of gas used for power generation was set at Tk 14 per cubic metre, while the price of gas to be used in captive power and industry was set at Tk 30 per cubic metre. Meanwhile, the CCGP approved two separate proposals to import a total of 60,000 metric tons (MT) of urea fertiliser from Qatar and Saudi Arabia at a cost of Tk 223.84 crore under the state contracts.

Gas supply to Chattagram and elsewhere has started to improve after a floating LNG terminal in Moheshkhali resumed production after its 45-day scheduled maintenance programme. “Excelerate Energy’s FSRU started production after scheduled maintenance today. Now it has been supplying 230 million cubic feet of gas per day (mmcfd) and hopefully the supply will reach 500 mmcfd soon,” said a top official of the Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Limited (RPGCL). The RPGCL, a subsidiary of state-owned Petrobangla, has been responsible to import LNG from abroad and receive re-gasification service from the existing two LNG terminals in Moheshkhali, one set up by Summit Group and another by US-based Excelerate Energy. Each LNG terminal has a capacity to supply 500 mmcfd gas to the national gas network from which a major portion is supplied to Chattagram . Read: Energy Division regrets inconvenience from gas crisis in Chattagram, elsewhere The Excelerate Energy’s FSRU went on a 45-day maintenance programme suspending supply of gas to the national gas grid while the Summit’s FSRU experienced a technical fault halting gas supply to the national gas network, leading to a severe gas crisis in Chattagram and elsewhere. Many areas in Dhaka, Narayanganj and Gazipur experienced extreme gas crises or low pressure problems. The RPGCL official, however, informed that Summit’s FSRU also resumed production to a very low scale and it is providing a supply of 130 mmcfd against its capacity of 500 mmcfd. He noted that the gas shortage problem is unlikely to be fully resolved as the Summit’s FSRU also has a schedule to start maintenance programme within 3-4 days. Read: Uninterrupted gas supply by 2026 : Nasrul Hamid outlines energy plans “We think the situation will improve to some extent, but not fully”, he told UNB. The Energy Division on Friday expressed regrets for the inconvenience caused to consumers over the gas crisis in Chattogram and elsewhere in the country due to the suspension of the LNG supply from FSRU in Moheshkhali following a technical fault there. In a press release, the Energy and Mineral Resources Division said that due to a technical fault at a Moheshkhali LNG FSRU, gas supply to Chattogram and other areas of the country remained suspended since early morning on Friday. Read more: Acute gas crisis hits Chattogram city residents hard