Guangdong's natural gas consumption is expected to reach 48 Bcm by 2025 compared with 29 Bcm in 2020, and rise about 32% from 36.4 Bcm in 2021. In 2021, Guangdong accounted for close to 10% of China's total natural gas consumption of 372.6 Bcm, making it the country's largest natural gas consuming province in the year.

Guangdong views natural gas as an important option for its energy transition, and will actively promote the development of natural gas power generation and introduce efficient use of natural gas in industrial, commercial, transportation, household and other sectors, GDRC said in the 14th Five-Year (2021-2025) Plan for Energy released April 13.

However, the province will strictly constrain the development of coal-fired power, phase out old units, and gradually reduce the share of coal-fired power in its total power supply to meet carbon peaking and carbon neutrality targets, the regulator said.

Guangdong is expected to add LNG receiving capacity of about 23.6 million mt/year, or 32.5 Bcm/year, in the plan period. It currently has six LNG receiving terminals with a total LNG receiving capacity of 18.8 million mt/year.

GDRC expects state-owned PipeChina's Shenzhen Diefubei LNG terminal, Chaozhou Huaying LNG terminal, Guangdong Energy's Huizhou LNG terminal, and state-owned CNOOC's Zhuhai LNG terminal phase 2 projects to complete and start operations by 2025.

PetroChina's Maoming LNG terminal, Zhuhai Zhiwan Island LNG terminal, and Guangdong Dapeng LNG terminal expansion projects are expected to start construction during the 14th FYP period.

Guangdong also plans to build more peak-shaving natural gas storage by 2025, which include storage facilities in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Yangjiang and Chaozhou cities. GDRC expects natural gas storage capacity at each administrative region above the county level to reach three days of daily demand, and city gas enterprises to build storage to meet at least 5% of annual gas consumption during the 14th FYP.

Guangzhou Gas is building a 1 million mt/year LNG peak-shaving storage terminal in Guangzhou Nansha, which is expected to be launched in 2022 or 2023. Guangdong Energy is also constructing a 2.8 million mt/year LNG peak-shaving storage terminal in Yangjiang, which is scheduled to be put into operations in 2024.