Gas to remain backbone of global growth for next century: Al Kaabi
Tribune News Network
Doha
Minister of State for Energy Affairs and QatarEnergy President and CEO HE Saad Sherida Al Kaabi has emphasised that sustainable economic growth across the globe is not possible without fuel, underscoring natural gas as the most reliable, affordable, and widely accessible option.
Speaking during a leadership dialogue at the World Gas Conference (WGC) in Beijing, Al Kaabi reiterated that while a diverse energy mix is essential, natural gas will continue to serve as the backbone of global economic development.
'We need all kinds of fuels and a wide energy mix,' he stated, 'but gas stands out as the best source—reliable, affordable, and available to most countries. It is here to stay for the next century.'
Al Kaabi emphasised that each country's energy mix will differ based on local conditions and intermittency factors—such as when the sun does not shine, the wind does not blow, or the rain does not fall.
'For us in Qatar,' he said, 'we have plenty of sunshine, and today we meet 15 percent of our electricity demand from solar power. We are working to double that to 30 percent.'
Addressing a question on net-zero emissions as an environmental target, Al Kaabi noted that while many countries and companies have announced commitments to achieve net-zero by 2050, it has become evident that many are now reconsidering those goals.
'People are realising that it is very difficult to achieve net-zero by 2050 without a real, actionable plan—and without taking into account their energy needs and economic development requirements,' he said.
He pointed out that Qatar and QatarEnergy were among the few who were transparent from the outset, openly stating that they would not be able to meet net-zero targets by 2050 under current conditions.
Speaking on the progress of Qatar's North Field expansion, Al Kaabi said, 'We will begin operations of the first LNG train from the North Field East development — which has a production capacity of 32 million tonnes per annum — by mid next year.'
'Subsequent trains will follow thereafter. As for the North Field West project, it is currently in the engineering phase and is expected to enter the construction phase around 2027.'
Highlighting the scale of the expansion, Al Kaabi stated, 'We will more than double our LNG production — from the current 77 million tonnes to 160 million tonnes annually. This includes output from our Golden Pass project in Texas, which is expected to come online later this year.'
He further noted, 'QatarEnergy will become the world's largest LNG exporter as a single company, while Qatar will remain the second-largest LNG-exporting nation after the United States for the foreseeable future. We are committed to playing a major role in supporting global economic growth by supplying the cleanest fossil fuel available.'
Al Kaabi revealed that the company is significantly expanding its footprint in the petrochemical sector, with major projects underway in both the United States and Qatar.
'QatarEnergy is doubling its production capacity across several segments of the petrochemical industry,' he said.
'We are building the world's largest ethane cracker in the United States, expected to begin production in the first quarter of 2027. At the same time, we are constructing the largest ethane cracker in the MENA region in Ras Laffan, which is also set to commence operations in early 2027,' he said.
Describing the scale of the investment, Al Kaabi noted, 'Together, these two projects represent the largest single investment by one company, undertaken in partnership with our long-standing collaborators at CPChem.'
On the strategic energy relationship with China, he highlighted China's rapid economic growth and ambitious energy transition efforts.
'China's growth is tremendous,' he said. 'They are developing a well-balanced energy mix, and their progress in renewable energy has far exceeded expectations. They are also incorporating more natural gas into their energy portfolio.'
Hughlighting China's importance as a key partner for QatarEnergy, Al Kaabi said, 'China is our largest LNG buyer and a strategic partner in our North Field East (NFE) and North Field South (NFS) expansion projects. In addition, a significant portion of our historic LNG shipbuilding programme is being executed in Chinese shipyards.'
World Gas Conference, the premier global forum for the gas and energy industry, is being held for the first time in China under the theme 'Energizing a Sustainable Future.'
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