LNG imports rise by 38.3%

CHINA increased liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports in the first half of 2017, as part of an effort to clean up its coal-dominated energy mix. The LNG channelled into the world’s biggest energy consumer rose 38.3 percent year-on-year to 15.89 million tons in the January-June period, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs yesterday. The growth rate is higher than the 21.2 percent increase registered in the same period last year, partly encouraged by the lowering policy barriers for LNG from the US to enter the Chinese market. The country had already imported 400 000 tons of US gas in the first five months, in sharp contrast to zero a year ago. – Xinhua