Bangladesh Tenders for Floating LNG Regas

Bangladesh’s state-run Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company (RPGCL) has launched a tender to select a contractor to build a 5.5mn mt/yr floating storage and regasification unit offshore Payra in Patuakhali, RPGCL managing director Md Quamruzzaman told NGW December 19.

The selected contractor will build it on a build, own, operate, and transfer (BOOT) basis for 15 years, he said. The FSRU should have storage capacity of 170,000 - 216,000 m³ and re-gasification capacity of 750mn ft³/d.  

The winner will also build the necessary marine facilities including a subsea gas pipeline, he said. Bangladesh is expecting to complete construction of the terminal by June 2019. Interested contractors must send their expression of interests to the RPGCL before January 30. This would be Bangladesh’s largest FSRU; the previous three are already at the construction phase.

Bangladesh is eying the start of LNG imports in early 2018 and is making concerted efforts to move forward with the relevant infrastructure, with three FSRUs all of 3.75mn mt/yr, agreed already. The first is being developed by US-based Excelerate Energy and expected to be commissioned in April 2018 and the second is being developed by Summit Group. It is expected to be commissioned by October  2018.

Both will be on Moheshkhali Island in the Bay of Bengal, and ownership of the vessels will be transferred to state-owned oil and gas company Petrobangla after 15 years of operations. The third FSRU will be built at Kutubdia Island. Petrobangla is also planning to set up at least two onshore LNG terminals, each with a capacity of 7.5mn mt/year, by 2025. It is still in talks with potential LNG suppliers but some contracts have already been signed, such as with Qatar, as the company's gas supply deficit widens.