Editorial comment
This year appears to be flying by and it has reached that time in the LNG industry calendar where experts from far and wide get together to discuss ideas, technology, and business. I am of course talking about Gastech, which this year is being hosted in the beautiful Italian city of Milan. With a reputation for being the country’s capital of fashion and finance, the city has built its foundations on mixing creativity with commerce – the perfect backdrop for the gas industry’s best and brightest to share advances in engineering as well as perspectives on how the industry can best face the world’s current geopolitical, economic, and environmental climate. The state of global affairs is reflected in this year’s conference topics, which include energy security, the energy transition, carbon-neutral LNG, the digital age, and market volatility, to name a few.
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One of the most pressing issues, especially in Europe, is the ongoing energy crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Governments and organisations have been quick to withdraw business from Russia, but a heavy reliance on the country for much of the continent’s energy supply has created a daunting task regarding the re-evaluation and re-direction of energy policy.
With the option of Russian gas being firmly out of the mix, governments have been looking for established alternative energies to diversify their power supply. It therefore comes as no surprise that LNG has taken centre stage in discussions on energy security. The European Commission recently launched the REPowerEU Plan to quickly phase out Russian energy supply, and reported record levels of LNG secured in the EU.1 Deals to obtain LNG are being made left, right, and centre. For example, Germany, which had depended greatly on gas from Russia and was without any LNG terminal infrastructure of its own, is now planning for five floating LNG (FLNG) import terminals.2
The country has also recently inked an agreement to procure imported LNG through two of these new terminals (Brunsbuettel and Wilhelmshaven), in an effort to find stable energy sources.3
While present global concerns will dominate discussions at Gastech 2022, the event is also looking forwards, with its Future Leaders programme. As Gastech celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, the Future Leaders programme aims to equip participants with the skills and knowledge needed to prepare the next generation for an ever-shifting energy landscape. It will be exciting to see the topics presented at Gastech in another 50 years’ time.
We are in an age where LNG is forming an integral part of global energy conversations and solutions, and with so much to discuss, the September issue of LNG Industry is the magazine’s largest issue to date. Make sure to swing by our stand (15N60) to pick up this bumper copy full of technical articles on LNG terminals, cryogenic technologies, metering and monitoring, and developments in coatings, as well as our Gastech 2022 Preview which features a handy guide to help you navigate the event.
As the LNG industry grows and changes, the team here at LNG Industry will be with you every step of the way, continuing to showcase and celebrate the innovative work of companies in the sector through a range of informative articles, news, webinars, and more.
- European Comission, ‘REPowerEU: A plan to rapidly reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels and fast forward the green transition’, (May 2022).
- Clean Energy Wire, ‘Fifth floating LNG terminal to help Germany become independent of Russian gas’, (July 2022).
- Bloomberg, ‘Germany Reaches Deal With Uniper, RWE on Floating LNG Plants’, (August 2022).
