Welcome to the 12th issue of the Global Voice of Gas magazine, an International Gas Union publication, produced in collaboration with Natural Gas World (NGW). [To Download, Scroll Down]

• This special edition issue is dedicated to LNG, on the occasion of the 20th edition of the world’s largest international LNG conference, LNG2023, taking place in Vancouver on July 10-13.
• Energy prices have fallen significantly over the past six months, easing the tension in gas and energy markets and allowing consumers some long overdue relief. But this creates risk of complacency from falsely concluding that the supply crisis is over. This respite should be used to mobilise plans for supply and demand balancing to ensure that the winters ahead do not force the world into another series of energy shocks. Significant challenges will also remain, as developed and developing countries struggle to strike a balance between ensuring stable and affordable energy supply and fulfilling their climate ambitions. Through the crisis, natural gas, and LNG in particular, has demonstrated its critical role in providing the world the reliable and sustainable energy it needs. Looking ahead, the industry and policymakers alike should focus on how a more stable, cleaner and more prosperous future can be secured, and this will be a key theme at the upcoming conference in Vancouver.
• In this issue, we are proud to include a feature written by Michael Stoppard, Andres Roja and Anusha De Silva, from S&P Global Commodity Insights on the classic prisoner’s dilemma that European LNG buyers face with regard to securing long-term supply now, potentially causing prices to fall in the late-2020s, versus side-stepping long-term offtake but risking losing leverage with suppliers. In our Decarbonising Energy: Innovation and Start-ups special feature in this issue, Tuomas Riski, CEO of Norsepower, discusses with Global Voice of Gas how the company’s Norsepower Rotor Sails technology harnesses the power of the wind to make shipping more fuel efficient and cleaner.
• We are also pleased to present a feature written by Liu He, Senior Fellow, and Zhang Guosheng, Professor, at The Research Institute of Exploration and Development (RIPED) of China National Petroleum Corporation, on the outlook for natural gas production and further market development in China. The feature projects how gas will play an increasingly important role in reducing China’s emissions and supporting its energy security, but stresses that there must be enhanced planning of the gas and energy systems, further reforms and greater market integration, to fully enable the fuel’s benefit.
• Many LNG developers are looking towards carbon capture and storage (CCS) to ensure their continued licence to operate, and the added cost that this technology presents is another topic this issue focuses on. We also weigh up the possibilities for repurposing LNG infrastructure for hydrogen and ammonia, to make it future-proof, and how standard LNG can deliver emissions cuts across the world by replacing coal and supporting further renewables deployment. In addition, we look at the strong business case for Canada joining the global LNG market, as it advances a raft of new supply projects.
• In an article brought to you by the International Gas Research Conference (IGRC2024), we explore how fuel oil is finally giving way to alternative, cleaner shipping fuels, and how momentum continues to build behind LNG as the most popular of these alternatives. Finally, we bring you the traditional regional developments and updates section from the IGU Regional Coordinators. In this issue, IGU regional leads bring insight from the Americas, and South and Southeast Asia.
• We hope that this issue provides interesting insight and fruitful context for the timely discussions and critical debates at LNG2023, and we look forward to seeing many of you there!