Editorial Comment: China eyes continued expansion of smaller-scale LNG

Smaller-scale liquefaction in China, the world’s second-largest LNG importer, has experienced growth in recent years as China’s government integrates more gas into the country’s energy matrix. With more than 75% of installed global capacity for smaller-scale LNG production and a market capacity anticipated to reach 20 MMtpy this year, China is expected to remain the global hotspot for smaller-scale LNG through at least the late 2020s. Unlike conventional LNG plants, which require large economies of scale to make up for significant CAPEX, smaller-scale LNG units require less investment, equipment and energy consumption. The modularization of hardware also allows fast and efficient manufactur