One month’s loss in the gas system is 236 million cubic feet.
The gas pipeline network throughout the country is in a dilapidated state. Various factors, such as gas theft, its misuse in industries, leakage in pipelines and the utilization of inefficient machinery, are responsible for wasting costly fuel gas in the country. This system loss has caused huge financial losses to the state. Gas distribution companies are trying to reduce system loss, but practically no results are being achieved. Even if the system loss decreases slightly in some months, it is increasing rapidly again.
After the political unrest in the country in July-August, gas system loss increased in October. Those concerned said that taking advantage of the unrest in all sectors including the administration, gas misuse has increased in opportunistic industries. This has also increased system loss. According to information received from the Energy Department, six gas distribution companies received a total of 2,443 million cubic feet of gas at their intake points in October last year. Of that, 2,169.29 million cubic feet were sold. That is, about 235.56 million cubic feet of gas was lost in the system in one month. Experts say that this is very high.
According to the sources of the Energy Department, only 1918.57 MMCM of gas was transmitted from the GTCL point in October. Of that, 1879.20 MMCM of gas was transmitted. 39.36 MMCM of system loss occurred. Which is 2.05 percent in percentage terms. Again, 1306 MMCM of gas was supplied to Titas Gas Company, of which 1137.25 MMCM was transmitted to the distribution point. That is, 169.19 MMCM of gas was wasted or system loss occurred, which is 12.95 percent in percentage terms.
Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company received 258.28 gas at the intake point and distributed 248.33. The loss was about 9.96 MMCM. System loss was 3.86 percent.
Jalalabad Gas Distribution Company received 352.60 million cubic feet of gas at the intake point, sold 351.351.35 MMCM. Operational wastage was 1.25. They had the lowest system loss, zero.35 percent. Bakhrabad Gas Distribution Company received 243.65 MMCM of gas and sold 225.18. The company’s system loss was 7.58 percent. Paschimchanal Gas Distribution Company received 107.21 million cubic feet of gas, considering sales, the company’s system loss was 1.56 percent. Sundarban Gas Company received 97.27 MMCM of gas and sold it, and the company’s system loss was 1.03 percent.
The Energy Department reports that in September of the same year, 2055.43 MMCM of gas was sold at the gas intake point against 2167.29 MMCM. In September, the average system loss of all companies was 5.16 percent. In October, the average system loss of all companies was 9.74 percent.
The country has been in the throes of a severe gas crisis for a decade. According to information obtained from government and private sources, the country currently has a demand of at least 5,000 million cubic feet of gas. Against this, a total of 2,700 to 3,000 million cubic feet is supplied. This includes liquefied natural gas (LNG) imported from abroad at high prices. It is this practice under which Petrobangla has cited a ‘system loss’ of gas in the fiscal year 2023-24 to the tune of Tk 4,590 crore, representing 7.56 percent in percentage terms.
The concerned ones view that the actual quantity of the system loss in the country is much greater than what it is, and this is not actually any system loss. Gas misuse and theft are still being termed as system loss by the distribution companies, and one way or another, this has to be blamed on the common consumer. Analysis of the information received shows that the system loss of seven gas companies, including GTCL, which is responsible for gas transmission and distribution, is very high. But the highest system loss of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company is .
A senior official of Petrobangla told our time that since 1 January 2023 meters have been installed at various points of gas transmission and distribution. Through these meters, the system loss or gas sales are determined.
On the other hand, a statistic of system loss from January 2023 to September 2024 shows that system loss has increased gradually. While the average system loss in January 2023 was 8.70 percent, it was 8.75 percent in December of the same year. In April 2023, Titas’ system loss increased to about 11 percent. In October 2024, it was 12.95 percent.
Energy expert Professor Shamsul Alam told our time, there is an international rate for how much system loss will be. There is a percentage calculation. But in our country, there is no such standard. The difference between the supply and sale of gas, all of it is imposed on the shoulders of the consumer.
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