A coal-fired power station in Beijing
China’s gas strength has doubts longer term
The fuel will continue to displace coal in the coming years, but after 2030 the pace of gas growth may slow
Gas demand growth in China is expected to decelerate in the second half of the year, as a slowing economy that Beijing is struggling to stimulate starts to weigh on consumption. But the near-term outlook for the cleanest-burning fossil fuel remains upbeat, as authorities accelerate decarbonisation over the next five years. Chinese gas consumption is expected to rise by 6.5–7.7% year-on-year to reach 420–425bcm in 2024, according to an annual gas industry development report recently released by the National Energy Administration (NEA). Demand expanded by 8.7% in H1, to 210.8bcm, which implies a lower growth rate for H2 based on the full-year forecast. Consumption in H2 could reach 209.2–214.2
Also in this section
10 March 2026
By shutting the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has cut exports of distillate-rich Middle Eastern crude, jet fuel and diesel, and is holding the energy market hostage
10 March 2026
Eni’s director for global gas and LNG portfolio, Cristian Signoretto, discusses how demand will respond to rising LNG supply, and how the company is expanding its own gas and LNG operations through disciplined, capital-efficient investments
9 March 2026
Petroleum Economist analysis sees increases in output from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Kazakhstan among others before region’s murky descent
9 March 2026
Energy sanctions are becoming an increasingly prominent tool of US foreign policy, with the country’s growth in oil and gas production allowing it to impose pressure on rivals without jeopardising its own energy security or that of its allies, argues Matthew McManus, a visiting fellow at the National Center for Energy Analytics
