DHAKA, Oct 30, 2019 (BSS) – State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid today said Qatar has expressed willingness to make mega investment in Bangladesh’s energy sector along with strengthening bilateral relations.
“Qatar wants to get involve in more projects in power and energy sector like land based LNG terminal, LNG supply etc,” he told this after emerging from a meeting with a Qatar delegation in his conference room at his ministry.
State Minister for Energy Affairs of Qatar Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi led the delegation including Qatar Ambassador in Dhaka Ahmed Mohamed Al-Dehaimi, Director of Commercial Management and Shipping Qatargas Alaa Abu Jbara, Director of the Office of the Minister of the State for Energy Affairs Ali Nasser Telfat, Executive Vice President Commercial and Business Development of Qatar Petroleum Ali Mohammed Al Emadi, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Qatar in Dhaka Fahad KHI Al-Attiayah and Hamed Jamil Hossain.
Referring the first time visit by a Qatar Energy Affairs Minister in Bangladesh, Nasrul Hamid said Qatar is interested to construct a land based Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal at Payra while they submitted tender documents for Matarbari project, adding, “Twelve companies have submitted their documents in the tender process of Matarbari.”
The two ministers discussed about bilateral issues for strengthening the relations among the two countries further. During the meeting Qatar has expressed their keen interest to extend the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was signed in September 2017.
The Qatar minister also showed his interest to make a large scale investment in Bangladesh’s energy sector and assured Nasrul of reducing LNG price comparatively, as Bangladesh minister called Qatar for consideration of reducing the prices of LNG supplied to Bangladesh, Nasrul said.
Petrobangla Chairman Ruhul Amin, Director (Planning) Ayub Khan and others were also present in the meeting.
It was also discussed in the meeting about LNG shipment. This was disclosed that Bangladesh has already received a total of 36 cargoes having 2.21 million tonnes LNG from Qatar and the remaining six cargoes will reach in Bangladesh next December.
Besides, the government is expected to receive 40 LNG cargoes in 2020, which would help to supply gas smoothly, according to the meeting.