China can't get enough

The East Asian country is hungry for LNG and is on course to become one of the world's top importers

For global liquefied natural gas observers, perhaps one of the most significant developments over the past 18 months has been the strong and not entirely anticipated upswing in demand for LNG from China. The share of LNG imports in China's overall gas mix has been steadily rising, from a low of 0.8m tonnes in early 2012 to over 3.6m tonnes, and climbing, in early 2017. More pronounced spikes in LNG imports were seen in the winter of 2016-17, when China leant more heavily on spot cargoes to meet its heating, power and transport needs. This year, new clean air policies are pushing up demand for LNG to unprecedented levels. The upward trend is a sign of China's growing appetite for LNG, which l