Natural gas use to rise 10 pct in 2017

BEIJING -- China's natural gas consumption is expected to maintain double-digit growth in 2017 after signs of slowing over the past two years, a report said on Saturday.

China's apparent consumption of natural gas may rise 10 percent year on year to 230 billion cubic meters this year, according to the report released at a forum on the country's energy transition.

In the first half year of 2017, the apparent consumption of natural gas came to 114.6 billion cubic meters, rising 15.2 percent year on year, according to figures released by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planner.

China's efforts on pollution control, market reform and steady economic growth as well as improved energy consumption structure contributed to the growth, according to the report.

The report was jointly released by National Energy Administration, Development Research Center of the State Council and Ministry of Land and Resources.

China has been promoting efficient, large-scale use of natural gas in sectors including industrial fuel, gas-fired power and transportation.

Natural gas consumption will be brought up to around 10 percent of the country's energy mix by 2020 and 15 percent by 2030, according to NDRC.

In 2015, China's natural gas consumption was 191 billion cubic meters, rising only 5.7 percent on year -- a 10-year low. Last year saw a 6.6 percent year-on-year growth in the gas consumption.