Orion opens LPG bottling plant in Mongla

Orion Group yesterday opened a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) bottling plant in Mongla in a bid to plug the gap in cooking fuel supply.

The plant built at a cost of Tk 200 crore will supply 80,000 tonnes of LPG per year. The country's demand for LPG, used mainly for cooking, is estimated at 1 million tonnes a year, while public and private companies can supply up to 600,000 tonnes, leaving a constant supply shortfall.

With the capacity to fill 1,500 cylinders per hour, the Orion plant has come up with two 1,500-tonne spherical storage tanks. The company imports the gas from the Middle East.

Orion officials said the company emphasises delivering gas in proper quantities and ensuring gas cylinders' safety. For example, the cylinders have zinc coating to resist rusting.

They said the storage capacity of the plant would soon be increased to 5,000 tonnes. Orion also plans to build a 3,000-tonne storage facility in Chittagong, and build satellite storage facilities of 500 tonnes each in six divisional cities.

Orion would also add an LPG delivery system through tank lorries to ensure bulk LPG supplies to industrial units and high-rise buildings.

Orion will bring to the market a “reticulated system” for LPG supply. In this system, LPG is supplied to a consumer's kitchen from a centralised cylinder bank. Individuals in an apartment building would not need to buy LPG cylinders separately and can depend on a centralised supply system.