Natural gas has a lot of advantages in technology, economy, and environmental protection. It will be the fastest-rising energy in this new era. Though liquefied natural gas only accounts for a small part of the market of natural gas, the dev-elopment trend is powerful. Especially in Asian-Pacific area, facilities of pipeline of transporting gas are scarce and uneconomical, so liquefied natural gas is just more popular.
Since 1990, average annual rate of increase of the liquefied natural gas trade of the world is about 6.7 percent. During from 1995 to 1996, it is up to 12.4 percent. At present, annual volume of trade of liquefied natural gas in the world is 82 million metric ton. According to some research prediction, it will rise to 112 million to 161 million metric tons by 2010. In the fast growing areas such as China's Mainland, Taiwan, India, South Korea, etc. the increasing degree may be great-er.
At present natural gas meets 23 percent of energy demand of the world, and it is expected it will become the fastest-rising energy in the 21st century. The natural gas of international trade, which is transported in liquid way, nearly reach-es 25 percent.
The natural gas is a kind of clean energy; it is far more superior than other fossil fuel in economy and environmental protection aspect. Rapidly industrialized countries of Asia are substituting fossil fuel of other high-carbon density with liquefied natural gas as generating electricity to use, in order to lower the emission of the gas of greenhouse. |