Businesses switch to LPG over gas crisis
Staff Reporter :
The entrepreneurs of the country’s industry sector are increasing the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as an alternative fuel to keep their factories running. Even, many are converting diesel-run generators into LPG to cut the cost, the industry insiders said.
Residential supply of pipeline gas has been stopped for a long time. There is a deep crisis with the existing lines that supply gas to the residences. At the same time, businesses are dissatisfied with the disruption of gas supply to their factories.
In absence of uninterrupted gas supply, over 500 heavy and medium-sized industries are currently using LPG and another at least 1,000 factories from different sectors are working to get LPG connection, the entrepreneurs said.
According to the LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh (LOAB), the country’s annual LPG consumption has reached 18 lakh tonnes, with industries accounting for over 13 per cent of this total – a significant surge from less than 2 per cent just five years ago.
Increasing the LPG use in industrial sector, a meeting was held recently at the Prime Minister’s Office and the meeting discussed in details the potentials, challenges and recommendations.
The LOAB made a presentation calling LPG an alternative fuel and offered technological solutions to different problems.
It was decided in that meeting to formulate a set of integrated guidelines on the LPG use in the industries. Energy and Mineral Resources Division said that it is working on that and made good progress in making a draft.
Energy and Mineral Resources Secretary Nurul Alam said, “There exists a LPG guideline. Now, work is on to make it integrated. It will be made public soon.”
However, the entrepreneurs said that the cost of LPG as compared to natural gas is the main challenge. But, it is cheaper than diesel. At present, a cubic meter gas costs Tk 30 in the industries. The price of per kilogram LPG is Tk 119.4 while auto gas sells at Tk 65.76 per kg. This price is applicable only for January.
Gas is mostly used at knitwear factories. Most of their generators are run by gas and diesel. Transforming them into duel generators is expensive and problematic. But, a section of businesses feel that though expensive LPG is more reliable to ensure unhindered supply.
The industries have been suffering from gas supply crisis for a long time. Visiting quite a few garment factories in Gazipur and ceramic factories in Narayanganj, it was seen that LPG infrastructures are being constructed on the unused land where mounted or gas storage tanks were set.
Due to the acute gas supply shortage, the entrepreneurs of the textile sector are repeatedly saying that they are ready to pay higher for an uninterrupted gas supply.
Atique Monir, Chief Operating Officer of Fakir Fashion Ltd, said LPG can be used as an alternative energy to diesel to run boilers, stenter machines, dryer machines and singeing machines in the apparel industry.
“We use LPG as a backup energy source when we face poor pressure in the natural gas supply or load shedding in the electricity transmission line,” he added.
