With relentless efforts, the state-run Gas Transmission Company Limited (GTCL) has brought down gas system loss to below 1.25 per cent from 2.03 per cent.
“In the fiscal year 2022–2023, the GTCL’s system loss/technical discrepancy was approximately 3.00 per cent, which has now come down to below 1.25 per cent,” Petrobangla spokesman Tariqul Islam Khan said on Monday.
He said with effective measures to reduce technical differences between gas intake and off-take in GTCL’s transmission lines, the system loss/technical difference has stood at 0.83 per cent and 1.25 per cent in July and August respectively this year.
According to GTCL, the gas transmission company carried out calibration and configuration of metering systems, which was installed at intake and off-take points and verified their accuracy by connecting EVCs to turbine metres.
It introduced a single metering system instead of multiple meters and removed and sealed meter-less bypass gas lines.
The GTCL authorities also ensured regular joint meter readings and verification at off-transmission points, periodic calibration of metering stations, and proper operation of the metering system.
The effective measures reduced gas system loss and ensured a net post-tax profit of approximately Tk 247.89 crore in the fiscal year 2024–2025, the GTCL information said.
Currently, the total length of pipelines under GTCL’s management has stood at 2,177.60 km. The GTCL has been supplying approximately 2,300 million cubic feet of gas per day (about 84% of the country’s total gas requirement) to six distribution companies.
Local gas and imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) through the Moheshkhali Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) are being supplied to GTCL’s gas pipelines through 21 intake points.
Later, the gas is then supplied to six distribution companies through 63 offtake points from GTCL-operated high-pressure pipelines.
Out of the total 63 offtake points, 25 are under GTCL’s control, while the remaining 38 are controlled by the distribution companies.
The government asked the GTCL to reduce system loss/technical difference from January 1, 2023.
Managing Director of GTCL Engineer Md Haroon Bhuiyan took various initiatives to ensure national supply and utilisation of natural gas all over the country through the centralised high-pressure gas pipeline.
Now the GTCL has been implementing recommendations of the concerned committees, which made significant progress in reducing technical differences/system loss.
With a proper monitoring system by the authorities, there is no possibility of gas theft in GTCL’s high-pressure gas transmission pipelines.
GTCL’s system loss mainly arises from technical reasons, intake and off-take metering errors, and line pack variations.
The main causes of technical loss include under-capacity and under-pressure operation of gas metering stations, variations in gas composition, differences in gas flowing velocity, and use of different types of meters (ultrasonic, orifice, turbine).
A GTCL official said that replacement of chart recorders with flow computers for gas measurement, permanent removal of underground interlinks and installation of meters ends Fenchuganj, Kailashtila, and Muchai.
With the completion of the ongoing project for the installation and modification of gas stations at off-transmission points, along with the discontinuation of customer-end metering, the amount of system loss will fall to an acceptable level.
The GTCL completed two projects, including the Bagura-Rangpur-Saidpur Gas Transmission Pipeline Project and the Gas Transmission Pipeline Project at Jamuna Rail Bridge.
Besides, another three pipeline construction projects are currently under implementation: the installation and modification of gas stations at GTCL Off-Transmission Points Project; the Bakhrabad-Meghnaghat-Haripur Gas Transmission Pipeline Project, and the Dhanua-Mymensingh Gas Transmission Pipeline Project.
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