China drives world gas growth

While energy experts see a "golden age" for growth of natural gas use in China, the outlook appears darker for consumption in the country's power sector due to the dominance of cheap coal.

China's rising demand for cleaner-burning fuel will lead the world's growth in gas use over the next five years, accounting for 30% of the global increase, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its Medium-Term Gas Market Report this month.

"Three years ago, IEA introduced the concept of natural gas entering a golden age. The first point I would highlight today is that the golden age of gas has arrived in China," said IEA executive

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