ShareWGC PARIS 2015: “Growing together towards a friendly planet”
The 26th World Gas Conference (WGC), held in Paris last week, offered attendees an ideal opportunity for networking, learning and sharing information on the latest developments in the global energy industry and adaptation to future global innovations. Themed “Growing together towards a friendly planet”, WGC PARIS2015 showcased major achievements and milestones accomplished by the global gas industry.
Continuous need for clean and efficient energy
The conference and exhibition sought to address recent developments in the energy sector, principally focusing on the sustainable growth of the global gas industry. While drawing on critical inputs from diverse global gas professionals to chart new strategies for the natural gas industry, it also addressed the continuous need for clean and efficient energy.
Some LNG figures
- Natural gas accounts for around 1/4 of global energy demand, of which 10% is supplied in the form of LNG. This compares to just 4% in 1990.
- LNG trade reached 241.1 MT in 2014, a 4.3 MT increase over 2013 levels.
- Number of LNG exporters increased from 17 in 2012 to 19 in 2014 with the addition of Angola and PNG. While Asia Pacific provided 31% of the world’s LNG in 2014, Middle Eastern exports met 41% of total demand.
Delegates included major players and suppliers from the gas industry with over 4,000 industry professionals from 100 different countries worldwide, 500 international speakers, and more than 300 exhibitors.
A crucial time for gas industry
The conference comes at crucial time for gas industry which faces an unprecedented range of challenges. One of the major inputs is predicted growth in demand expected in markets such as China, India, the Middle East and Africa. Also, Japan’s liquefied natural gas demand will likely increase in the future.
Challenge to meet surge in LNG demand
With LNG demand expected to double by 2030, mainly driven by Asia, IIR Member Total believes the world faces a significant challenge in building adequate liquefied natural gas capacity to help meet the expected surge in gas demand over the next decade.
The industry’s challenge is also to add new facilities capable of producing the equivalent of today’s supply capacity.
Meeting low cost low carbon challenge
Likewise, the global gas industry faces the double-edged challenge of having to supply energy that involves both lower carbon emissions and lower costs.
With the COP21 climate summit, scheduled for Paris in December, WGC acts as a powerful prelude to one of the most eagerly anticipated climate summits in recent times. Contributions from the energy sector will be central to the negotiations about a sustainable future.
IIR’s Commission A2 on Liquefaction and Separation of Gases
With the LNG turnover increasing by about 20% per year, natural gas liquefaction, transport, storage, vehicle fuelling and ship bunkering can be considered the fastest growing branch within the scope of the A2 Commission. LNG may even restructure the whole energy economy worldwide combining environmental issues with fossil fuels and new technologies.
Additionally, LNG could be a driving force of cryogenics transmission to new markets and applications such as transport, power generation and energy storage.
The work of the A2 IIR Commission reflects world-wide activities in the domain of separation of gases and liquefaction. Apart from the personal involvement of Commission members in various projects, we are present at conferences, workshops, and seminars. Additionally, the Commission is close to academia, industry and end users of the separated and liquefied gases making IIR input to the field globally visible and appreciated.
More about Commission A2