Shell expects 65% rise in global LNG demand by 2050

[littlemissmartypants]

LONDON/SINGAPORE, June 30 (Reuters) - Global liquefied natural gas demand is expected to rise by around 65% by 2050, driven largely by Asia ‌as countries seek lower-emission alternatives to coal and data centres boost power demand, Shell said in an annual report on Tuesday.

Global demand is likely to reach nearly 700 million metric tons a year by that date, the world's largest trader of the superchilled fuel said in its 2026 LNG Outlook.

LNG trade, which reached 422 million tons in 2025, had been set to increase ​in 2026, it added. However, severe disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has shut in around one-fifth of global monthly LNG supply ​since the Middle East conflict began.

As a result, global LNG trade in 2026 could be similar to last year's level if shipping ⁠through the strait returns to normal this summer, before returning to growth in 2027, Shell said.
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https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/shell-expects-65-rise-global-lng-demand-by-2050-2026-06-30/

[OKIsItJustMe]

1. I wouldn't bet against Shell on this

https://www.iea.org/news/coming-surge-in-lng-production-is-set-to-reshape-global-gas-markets

Coming surge in LNG production is set to reshape global gas markets
News
27 October 2025

New IEA medium-term outlook sees unprecedented expansion of liquefied natural gas capacity by 2030, with implications for energy security, demand and affordability

Global gas markets are set to undergo major changes by the end of this decade, with a coming wave of liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity set to transform market dynamics, according to the latest edition of the IEA’s medium-term outlook.

Gas 2025, out today, offers a comprehensive overview of potential supply, demand and trade trends in global natural gas markets for the coming years. It provides a thorough review of recent market developments ahead of the 2025-26 Northern Hemisphere winter and includes forecasts for how supply and demand could evolve to 2030.

According to the report, about 300 billion cubic metres (bcm) per year of LNG export capacity – a record – is set to be added by 2030, primarily supported by liquefaction capacity additions in the United States and Qatar. Over 80 bcm of annual LNG liquefaction capacity has been sanctioned in the United States year-to-date, an all-time high for the US LNG sector. This unprecedented worldwide expansion is expected to strengthen global supply security and ease market pressures following a period of tightness.

…

https://www.iea.org/reports/gas-2025