New LNG markets prove tough nuts to crack

Floating storage and regasification has reduced entry barriers for aspiring LNG importers. But opening up a new market remains a tricky business

Most of the growth in LNG trade over the coming decades will be in Asia-Pacific. Imports into China are set to double and deliveries to South Asia to triple. However, the fastest-growing region will be Southeast Asia, according to Shell’s latest long-term LNG Outlook. It predicts that imports into the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) will grow by a staggering 553pc from 15mn t in 2020 to 98mn t in 2040. “Growth in demand is expected to come mainly from emerging markets and new entrants to the industry, such as the Philippines and Vietnam, who are only just starting to build the infrastructure needed to import LNG,” says Maarten Wetselaar, director of Shell’s In