Low gas pressure cuts textile production by 65%

Production in spinning, dyeing and weaving mills in the Tongi, Sreepur, Gazipur and Maona areas declined by around 65 percent thanks to low gas pressure in the last five days.

The factory owners said there is zero gas pressure in some units while some are receiving as low as 1 to 3 pounds per square inch (PSI) whereas they need 10-15 PSI to run the mills in full capacity.

Many factory owners of the industrial belt now fear missing the monthly production target and failing to ensure timely air shipment of the goods.

Bangladesh has a $25 billion primary textile sector and nearly 60 percent of its spinning, dyeing, washing, weaving and finishing units are located in the country's largest industrial belt consisting of Gazipur, Sreepur, Maona, Savar, Ashulia and Tongi.

Mohammad Zaber, managing director of Noman Group, the single largest textile and garment exporter of Bangladesh, told The Daily Star that his group is also at the risk of missing the export target and schedule because of the gas crisis.

Noman Group's export target for June is set at $35 million -- $20 million worth of home textile and $15 million fashion -- from mills and factories located in Tongi, he said.

Gas pressure to Tongi's home textile factory reached as low as one PSI, which will make it difficult for the group to reach the production target, Zaber said over phone.

The group's Sreepur factory, which targets shipping $3million worth of garment items, is also hit by the low pressure of gas, he said.

Zaber also said his home textile business has been rebounding from a crisis originated in February 2023 when gas price almost doubled and production cost spiralled so high that the group failed to book global work orders.

However, the last few months have been optimistic for Noman Group when it started receiving a lot of international orders, he said.

Md Fazlul Haque, managing director of Maona-based Israq Spinning Mills, echoed the views of Zaber.

Haque said his mill is getting 1 to 2 PSI gas pressure, which is inadequate to run the unit in full capacity.

Israq Spinning has been producing only 40 tonnes of yarns daily in the last five days, which is one third of the factory's capacity of 120 tonnes, he said.

The condition of gas-fed dyeing units is even worse, as those need a lot of gas pressure to function, he said.

A few days ago, the leaders of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) sat with the officials of state-owned gas supplying company Petrobangla and urged it to ensure adequate gas supply to the industrial units.

Today, BTMA President Mohammad Ali Khokon through a letter to Petrobangla Chairman Zanendra Nath Sarker demanded improvement in gas supply to the industrial belts, including areas like Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Gazipur, Maona, Savar, Ashilia, Tongi and Sreepur.

The gas supply situation worsened in the last five days when gas pressure reduced to almost zero in many factories, Khokon said.

Petrobangla has identified a leakage in the floating storage regasification unit (FSRU), which has deteriorated gas supply drastically, the Petrobangla officials said the BTMA leaders.

Even if the leakage is repaired locally, it may take seven days more to see an improvement in gas supply to the industrial units, they said.

If the leakage cannot be mended locally, the Petrobangla may need to send the FSRU abroad for getting repaired and in that case, it may need one month to see a rise in gas pressure, they said.

Md Ridwanuzzaman, branch manager for operations of Titas Gas Marketing and Supply at Gazipur, said gas flow remained low in the area over the last few days.

However, he could not say exactly how much gas pressure factories in Gazipur are now getting.

"It is difficult to say exactly when the gas supply situation will improve as it is a matter of the higher authority."

Md Haronur Rashid Mullah, managing director of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited, the gas distributing company for the affected industrial zone, cannot be reached over phone for his comments in this connection.