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The government will install a 150-kilometre gas transmission line up to northern districts in a bid to tap industrial potential in the country's impoverished region, officials said Saturday.
Government officials said Gas Transmission Company Limited (GTCL) would lay the gas pipeline from Bogura to Nilphamari involving Tk 13.78 billion.
"Since the northern region is gradually improving with industrial upgradation, there is a crying need for natural gas supply. It will help boost the economic activities there," said a Petrobangla official.
GTCL, a company under Petrobangla, has already taken up a project to supply natural gas to the northern region.
The country's north and north-western regions are economically lagging behind as they lack adequate energy supply which affected industrial growth there.
The government in 2005 installed a gas pipeline up to Bogura to supply energy to customers including industrial ones. Later, it has also supplied gas to Rajshahi.
Petrobangla in 1999 formed a new company named Pashchimanchal Gas Company Limited (PGCL) to distribute gas among the customers in Rajshahi division.
The Petrobangla official said they had decided to set up the pipeline as Syedpur Export Processing Zone, some other proposed economic zones and some private-sector industries will be potential bulk customers for gas supply.
When gas supply will be available, he said, the northern districts are likely to see an industrial revolution resulting in higher economic growth of the country.
According to Energy Division, the proposed gas pipeline will be built from Bogura to Nilphamari through Gaibandha and Rangpur districts.
Out of the total project cost, the government will provide Tk 13.68 billion from its internal sources while GTCL the rest of the amount from its own fund.
The 150-km gas transmission line will be set up by June 2021.
"We will start the project as the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council has approved it recently. We are taking preparation for inviting a tender for laying the pipeline," another GTCL official said.
When asked about an inadequate gas supply across the country including in the capital city, a senior Petrobangla official replied that they had a plan to import more LNG by 2021.
It would ensure availability of energy for old and new consumers, he added.