Demand for Canada's Liquefied Natural Gas Could Lift, As China Shifts for Clean Energy

As China gears up to shift from coal to clean energy, the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry in Canada Monday said that China's demand for Canada's LNG is likely to increase over the next several years.

Speaking to the reporters, Steve Swaffield, acting president of BG Canada, a global gas company whose headquarter is in England Monday said that China's choice of clean energy over coal will definitely bring much demand to Canada's LNG.

"China has some very strong aspirations in the growth of the clean energy business. And the economy in China is growing rapidly," Xinhua News Agency quoted Steve Swaffield, as saying.

"So the projections are that LNG could be as much as 7 or 8 percent of their overall natural gas needs and usages now and that could double over the next 10 years," said Steve Swaffield.

British Columbia is likely to become a gas business hub as there are abundant natural gas deposits in the province.

The acting president said that the global gas company has already started exploring the possibility of building a LNG plant and export terminal in Prince Rupert city of British Columbia.

He also said that his company has made an agreement with North America pipeline company Spectra Energy.

Seeing the lucrative gas business in BC, the acting president said that his company needed partners like China.

"The opportunity that we have in BC is so big that we need partners like in China because of the growth and the opportunity to increase the liquefied natural gas imports," said Steve Swaffield.

"We see China as an ideal partner to do business with. And the ties between China and Canada, particularly the west coast of British Columbia, have been very strong for a long time."

Canadian government last December approved the handover of Calgary based global oil and gas company Nixen to the Chinese state owned company CNOOC.

The handover deal was worth $ 15.1 billion.