Nation needs more gas supply as demand booms

China’s apparent consumption of natural gas may rise 10 percent this year to 230 billion cubic meters ( bcm), according to a report released at a forum on the country’s energy transition, the Xinhua News Agency reported Saturday.

In the first half of 2017, the apparent consumption of natural gas r each ed114.6b cm, up 15.2 percent year-on-year, data released by the National Development and Reform Commission ( NDRC), China’s top economic planner showed.

Total consumption hit 206 bcm last year, according to the NDRC.

Natural gas consumption is targeted at taking up about 10 percent of the country’s energy mix by 2020 and 15 percent by 2030, the agency said.

The report said use grew last year because of government efforts to tackle air pollution, market reform, steady economic growth and an improved energy consumption structure. Demand recovered in 2016 from slowing expansion in 2014- 15.

The report was jointly released by the National Energy Administration, Development Research Center of the State Council and the Ministry of Land and Resources.

China’s natural gas sources have become more diversified and the related infrastructure has been improved, generally achieving a balance between supply and demand, the report noted.

However, current supply can just satisfy onethird of the population, with further exploration needed, according to a report of domestic news website cnstock.com Saturday.

As the report pointed, more natural gas- powered peak generation facilities need to be built, and infrastructure connectivity needs to be strengthened.

Exploration and development of natural and shale gas should be further enhanced, guaranteeing the domestic demand, it noted.

Domestic output of natural gas was 136.9 bcm in 2016, up 1.7 percent year- on- year, while that of shale gas increased 72 percent to 7.9 bcm, according to the report released at the forum. Imports hit 72 bcm last year, providing 35 percent of consumption.