Bangladesh receives interest from 12 companies to build LNG terminal

Bangladesh has received interest from twelve companies to build the country’s first onshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

The South Asian country, which has a population of more than 160 million, is turning to land-based LNG terminals as its first imports of the super-chilled fuel via a floating platform were delayed due to weather and technical issues.

Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Co, part of state-owned oil and gas company Petrobangla, earlier this year had requested expressions of interest (EOI) from potential terminal developers for a land-based LNG regasification terminal at Matarbari in the Cox’s Bazar district of southern Bangladesh.

Twelve companies have submitted their interest to build the terminal, said two officials from Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Co.

Japan’s Mitsubishi and JERA Co, the world’s largest LNG buyer, are minority stakeholders in the Summit consortium.

Summit declined to comment, while the South Korean and Japanese companies couldn’t be reached after office hours.

A committee will evaluate the proposals and create a shortlist based on the capabilities and technical assessments of the 12 companies, one of the officials said.

It could take more than a year to complete and award the contract for the terminal, the official said.

The expressions of interest were initially due on March 20, but the closing date was delayed to this week after the companies requested more time.

The expression of interest is for the design, engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of an onshore terminal that can handle 7.5 million tonnes a year of LNG, including receiving, unloading, storage and regasification.

The project is on a build-own-operate basis for 20 years, with ownership to then be transferred at no cost to the Bangladeshi government or a company nominated by the government.