BEIJING: China says it plans to increase imports of natural gas by 500 percent before 2030 as part of an ambitious plan to switch from coal to eco-friendly energy. China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) has announced that imports of natural gas will increase from the current 53 billion cubic meters per year (bcm/y) to as high as 190-270 bcm/y.
“Despite the fact the Chinese economy has entered a new stage, and there has been growth slowdown, the demand for gas will increase,” RIA Novosti has quoted CNPC International Department Director-General Li Yueqiang as saying. “This corresponds to the concept of green development of the Chinese economy and the reduction of pollutant emissions.”
According to the CNPC official, China used 200 billion cubic meters of gas in 2015, of which a quarter was imported. Russia will be one of the main providers of the natural gas increasingly needed by China. Russia and China are already building the Power of Siberia pipeline, or the so-called eastern route, which will deliver 38 bcm of Russian gas to China annually, RT.com reported.
China and Russia have started construction of the pipeline. Moscow and Beijing have also been talking about building another pipeline, the Power of Siberia-2, or the western route to deliver an additional 30 bcm of gas to China annually. Even though the pipeline hasn’t been officially launched, Russia’s gas giant Gazprom is already preparing the infrastructure, , RT.com has quoted a report by Vedomosti daily as saying in July.
