China to become the largest importer of natural gas by 2019

Beijing. Jul 23. Silkroadnews - As the consumption of natural gas increases in China, the country intends to become the largest importer by 2019, People’s Daily reports.
It is expected that the consumption of natural gas will grow, with imports reaching 171 billion cubic meters in 2023.
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) consumption is growing most rapidly in China and India, with China ranking the second, having surpassed Korea in terms of LNG consumption.
“China has stated clearly that it will make natural gas a main source of energy. The speed of energy structure adjustment needs to be accelerated in order to construct a clean and low-carbon energy system. China plans to make natural gas 10 percent of its total energy consumption by 2020,” the agency quoted saying by Zhang Yuqing, the former deputy director of the National Energy Administration.
According to Zhang, when it comes to increasing the use of natural gas, China’s main problems are the stability of gas sources and pricing, as well as the competitiveness of alternative fuels.