Summit LNG FSRU Resumes Operation, Restoring 550 mmcfd Gas Supply to Bangladesh

Dhaka, August 15, 2026 — Regasified LNG supply from Summit Group's floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) resumed at 6:10pm on Friday, with the volume reaching 550 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) — raising hopes for alleviation of Bangladesh's ongoing fuel crunch. The resumption comes after supply was suspended at 4:00pm on Thursday when a cargo vessel was unable to berth due to rough weather in the Bay of Bengal.

⚡ Restoration Timeline

Summit Group issued a press release detailing the resumption timeline:

• 🕔 6:10pm Friday (Aug 14) — supply resumed at 550 mmcfd
• 🕑 ~2:00am August 15 — near-full capacity target of 550 mmcfd
• 🚧 Thursday 4:00pm suspension — cargo vessel unable to berth due to rough weather
• 🌊 Bay of Bengal weather — the cause of the temporary disruption

Summit said supply would be gradually increased, with the aim of reaching near-full capacity by around 2:00am on August 15. The gas supply will help increase gas availability for various consumers, including the industrial and power-generation sectors.

🏢 Summit's Strategic Statement

“The Summit LNG is committed to supplying the maximum possible amount of gas while maintaining safe and reliable operations within the technical capabilities of the terminal and the national gas-transmission system,” the company said in its press release.

Summit emphasised that an adequate and uninterrupted fuel supply is crucial for the growth of Bangladesh's industries, employment, and economic development. The private business conglomerate stated that it will continue to work closely with Petrobangla and the Government of Bangladesh to ensure the country's energy security and mitigate gas shortages.

📊 Why 550 mmcfd Matters

The 550 mmcfd supply from Summit's FSRU represents a significant portion of Bangladesh's regasified LNG import capacity — and is critical for several reasons:

• 🏭 Industrial gas supply — factories depend on gas for manufacturing processes
• ⚡ Power generation — gas-fired power plants provide base-load electricity
• 🌾 Fertiliser production — gas is feedstock for urea and other fertilisers
• 👥 Household cooking — piped gas for urban kitchens
• 🚧 Captive power — industrial generators run on gas

For context, Bangladesh's total gas demand exceeds 3,000 mmcfd against domestic production of approximately 2,300 mmcfd — leaving a 700+ mmcfd gap that LNG imports must fill. Summit's 550 mmcfd represents the bulk of that imported LNG supply.

🚧 The Gas Crunch Context

The FSRU suspension came at a particularly difficult moment for Bangladesh's energy sector. The country has been grappling with a severe gas crisis that has:

• 🏭 Forced factory closures — some industries unable to operate at capacity
• 👥 Holiday extensions — factories extending holidays to cope with gas shortage
• 🌾 Leather exporter impact — diesel use up 390 percent at factories amid gas shortage
• 🚧 Power cuts — gas-fired power plants operating below capacity
• 🍲 Household cooking crisis — urban kitchens lack adequate gas pressure

Even a 24-hour disruption in LNG supply has cascading effects across the entire economy — from industrial production to household welfare. The FSRU resumption is therefore a critical relief for the energy system.

🚢 FSRU Technology: How It Works

Summit's floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) is a specialised vessel that:

• 📦 Stores LNG cargo — at -162°C in cryogenic tanks
• 🔄 Regasifies LNG — converts liquid back to gas using seawater heat exchangers
• 🚢 Send-out via pipeline — feeds gas into the national transmission network
• 📊 550 mmcfd capacity — Summit's facility near-full capacity
• 🌊 Moored offshore — typically at Moheshkhali island in the Bay of Bengal

Bangladesh operates two FSRUs — Summit's and Excelerate Energy's — providing combined regasification capacity of approximately 1,000 mmcfd. Both are critical to bridging the gap between domestic gas production and total demand.

🏛️ Petrobangla and Energy Security

Summit's commitment to working “closely with Petrobangla and the Government of Bangladesh” reflects the strategic importance of the FSRU within the national energy security framework. Petrobangla, the state-owned oil and gas corporation, coordinates all LNG imports and gas distribution in Bangladesh. The partnership model includes:

• 💰 Private FSRU investment — Summit financed and operates the terminal
• 🤝 Government LNG procurement — Petrobangla buys LNG cargos on international market
• 💸 Tolling arrangement — Summit paid regasification fee per MMBTU
• 📊 Pipeline integration — regasified gas fed into national grid
• 🚧 Government allocation — gas distributed to priority sectors

🌐 Strategic Context: Bangladesh's LNG Import Strategy

Bangladesh has rapidly scaled up LNG imports since 2018 to address declining domestic gas reserves and growing demand. The LNG import strategy includes:

• 🚢 Two operational FSRUs — Summit and Excelerate Energy
• 💰 Long-term LNG supply contracts — including 117-cargo deal with Gunvor USA
• 🌐 Government-to-government deals — including US LNG under reciprocal trade agreement
• 📊 Spot market purchases — for short-term gap filling
• 🏭 Onshore LNG terminal plans — for longer-term capacity expansion

For an economy preparing for LDC graduation and seeking to maintain export competitiveness, reliable gas supply is non-negotiable — particularly for the RMG, textile, leather, and pharmaceutical sectors that depend on gas for manufacturing processes. The FSRU resumption, while a single operational event, is a reminder of how vulnerable Bangladesh's industrial competitiveness is to energy infrastructure reliability — and how critical private-sector FSRU operators like Summit are to keeping the country's economic engine running.