LAHORE: With the power supply and demand gap standing at 9,000MW, the energy scarce country is also facing a 1.5 billion cubic feet a day (bcfd) shortfall of gas that constitutes about 40-45pc of the local fuel mix.

If not arrested, this scarcity of gas may skyrocket to 13bcfd by 2020, warn industry experts. By then, they believe, Pakistan’s energy imports bill will have grown to $52 billion with the government catering to only 41pc of the consumers.

In a statement issue, they say having scrapped at least four tenders for the import of the liquefied natural gas (LNG), the government has pinned hope on Engro for the fast-track development of LNG import infrastructure.

They say under development at a huge cost of $150 million at Port Qasim, Engro Corporation’s Elengy Terminal Private Limited will be ready for commissioning by mid of March.

Having been techno-financially qualified in an open competitive bidding supervised by international independent consultant, Engro is going to deliver the country’s maiden LNG terminal by March. More than 90pc work has been completed and officials at ETPL have stated, “We aim to achieve the 335-day deadline in 270 to 290 days.”

Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is reported to have said the country would be receiving the first LNG shipment on March 31.

The execution of ETPL project includes engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of a 24km high-pressure piping network, including that of 24" and 42" diametres.

“Our initial injection of 200mmcfd will bridge the current 1.5bcfd supply,” says an official. The LNG import, he says, will save the resource-constrained government significant foreign exchange through import substitution of oil besides alleviating the energy crisis.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2015

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