The LNG industry GIIGNL Annual Report Profile Acknowledgements Profile We wish to thank all member companies for their contribution to the report and the GIIGNL is a non-profit organisation whose objective following international experts for their is to promote the development of activities related to comments and suggestions: LNG: purchasing, importing, processing, transportation, • Cybele Henriquez – Cheniere Energy handling, regasification and its various uses. • Najla Jamoussi – Cheniere Energy • Callum Bennett – Clarksons The Group constitutes a forum for exchange of • Laurent Hamou – Elengy information and experience among its 88 members in • Jacques Rottenberg – Elengy order to enhance the safety, reliability, efficiency and • María Ángeles de Vicente – Enagás sustainability of LNG import activities and in particular • Paul-Emmanuel Decroës – Engie the operation of LNG import terminals. • Oliver Simpson – Excelerate Energy • Andy Flower – Flower LNG • Magnus Koren – Höegh LNG • Mariana Ortiz – Naturgy Energy Group • Birthe van Vliet – Shell • Mika Iseki – Tokyo Gas • Yohei Hukins – Tokyo Gas • Donna DeWick – Total • Emmanuelle Viton – Total • Xinyi Zhang – Total © GIIGNL - International Group of Liquefied Natural Gas Importers All data and maps provided in this publication are for information purposes and shall be treated as indicative only. Under no circumstances shall they be regarded as data or maps intended for commercial use. Reproduction of the contents of this publication in any manner whatsoever is prohibited without prior consent of the copyright owners. Editorial The LNG industry in 2019 “LNG will continue to be a flexible, safe, reliable and cleaner energy source” Jean-Marie Dauger President Dear Colleagues, In 2019, the LNG market grew at a vigorous 13.0% rate, one hand, it continued to be boosted by China despite need to remain at levels that make gas competitive reaching 354.7 MT, an expansion followed by mounting the US-China trade frictions and the slowdown of the with alternative fuels in downstream power and gas uncertainties since the start of 2020. coal-to-gas switch in the industrial sector. On the other markets but, at the same time, support the significant hand LNG demand declined in Japan and South Korea, investments needed in production, liquefaction, trans- In the near term, the disruptive impact of the Covid-19 where increasing levels of nuclear power generation portation, transmission and downstream infrastructure. outbreak on the economies of importing countries will and the pace of renewables deployment influenced the A balance will have to be found, and in the end, the exert downward pressure on LNG demand in an already role of LNG in the power mix. In Europe, the absorption scale of new developments will depend on the industry’s oversupplied market. of surplus volumes was enabled by a combination of competitiveness, as well as on its ability to demonstrate lower pipeline imports, declining domestic production, its environmental benefits, in particular by increasing ef- 2019 marked an all-time record increase in annual LNG increased storage use and additional gas-fired power forts to detect, measure and reduce methane emissions. production, driven by new liquefaction trains and ramp- generation. Imports dwindled in the Middle East as Natural gas’s effective contribution in quickly improving ups in the United States, Russia and Australia. Over Egypt increased its exports. The same dynamic occur- air quality and curbing carbon emissions should be key the last three years, the industry has added more than red in South America as Argentina started LNG produc- in positioning LNG as an enduring part of the energy mix 80 MTPA of new capacity and significant volumes are tion and exports. and as a pragmatic and lower-carbon solution for the due to come online by 2025. Besides, 2019 was a re- future, while new gases will begin to take advantage of cord year for new investment decisions, which reached For LNG sellers and buyers, business models and the versatility of LNG infrastructure. 71 MTPA worldwide by the end of the year. contractual arrangements are becoming increasingly diversified. Traders continue to take advantage of sea- In 2019, LNG commercial operations passed the mark Global LNG flows experienced a shift in patterns: sonal and local supply tensions and integrated portfolio of 100,000 delivered cargoes without major incident, Northeast Asian demand growth moderated due to players are displaying impressive growth, aiming to showing an incredible track-record of safety. As we en- economic slowdown, milder weather and competi- bridge the disconnect between LNG seller and buyer in- ter a new decade and as GIIGNL is approaching its 50th tion from nuclear and coal-fired power generation, terests. We see competing interests, a world in which anniversary, our association remains committed to pro- while most of additional LNG volumes were absorbed sellers require long-term commitments to support their moting cooperation between LNG players and to sup- into Europe which played a balancing role thanks to investments, whereas buyers need shorter contract porting the development of safe, efficient and sustai- its abundant infrastructure and well-connected gas durations, diversified pricing structures, increased des- nable LNG imports for a responsible energy transition. market. tination flexibility and greater volume flexibility in order to manage demand uncertainty. Yours sincerely, On the demand side, no new country joined the ranks of importers in 2019 but several countries made sound Looking further ahead, LNG will continue to be a Jean-Marie Dauger progress on infrastructure development and are set to flexible, safe, reliable and cleaner energy source to President begin importing in the coming years. In Asia, demand meet ever more flexible and climate-conscious demand. was characterized by two diverging trends: on the To allow natural gas to penetrate new markets, prices GIIGNL Annual Report 2020 Edition - 3 Key figures 2019 Key figures 2019 354.7 MT +13% imported vs. 313.8 MT in 2018 growth vs. 2018 new LNG 21 42 regasification exporting importing 7 terminals countries countries of global LNG MTPA demand in Asia 920 69% total regasification capacity of global LNG volumes MTPA supplied from the 427 41% Pacific Basin total liquefaction capacity 4 - GIIGNL Annual Report 2020 Edition Key figures 2019 119 MT imported on a spot or short-term basis or 34% 34% of total trade Contents Key Figures 4 LNG trade in 2019 6 Contracts concluded in 2019 8 Medium-term and long-term contracts in force in 2019 10 LNG shipping 18 LNG imports in 2019 30 Liquefaction plants 38 Regasification terminals 44 World LNG Maps 54 Retail LNG in 2019 58 About GIIGNL 59 GIIGNL Annual Report 2020 Edition - 5 LNG trade in 2019 LNG trade in 2019 In 2019, global LNG imports Strongest LNG supply growth since by 3.2% in 2019 to 246.2 MT, rising in all countries reached 354.7 million tons 2010 thanks to the Atlantic Basin except in the established importing countries of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Even though (MT), increasing by 40.9 MT As in 2018, new LNG supply volumes were mostly Japanese LNG imports declined by 6.8% in 2019 or 13.0% compared to the driven by new production from the United States compared to 2018, Japan remains the leading impor- (+13.1 MT), Russia (+11 MT) and Australia (+8.7 MT). ting country with 76.9 MT or a 21.7% market share. previous year, the strongest Most exporting countries experienced an increase The main reasons for declining LNG imports in Japan growth rate since 2010. in their supply exports, except for three countries: were a slowdown of economic growth, the restart of Indonesia (-2.7 MT), Equatorial Guinea (-0.7 MT) several nuclear power units and mild temperatures. Argentina exported its first due to feed gas issues and Norway (-0.5 MT) due to Like Japan, South Korea also experienced a decline LNG cargo from the Tango maintenance requirements. in LNG imports, from 44 MT in 2019 to 40.1 MT, 5 new large-scale liquefaction projects started com- remaining the third largest LNG importer in the FLNG small-scale facility in mercial operations in 2019: 4 onshore in the United world and accounting for 11.3% of global market June 2019, increasing the States (Cameron LNG Train 1, Corpus Christi LNG, share. The main reasons for the decline were better Freeport LNG Train 1 and Elba Island) and 1 FLNG in nuclear generation performance, mild weather and number of exporting coun- Australia (Prelude FLNG). In addition, 2 small-scale high inventories at the beginning of the year. tries to 21*. liquefaction plants started-up exports: 1 onshore in In 2019, China experienced continued growth of LNG Russia (Vysotsk LNG) and 1 floating unit in Argentina imports, although at a slower pace (+14% compared The number of importing coun- (Tango FLNG). with +38% in 2018) but the country remains the tries remained unchanged, The Pacific Basin remains the largest source of LNG second largest LNG importer globally, with 61.7 MT supplies to the global market with 146.7 MT or or a 17.4% market share (similar to the market ** at 42 . 41.3% of the total global market, followed by the share of 2018). In China, the main reasons for the Atlantic Basin (32.2%) and the Middle East (26.5%). slowdown of year-on-year growth of LNG imports Due to the increase in production from Australia, the were the moderating economic growth rate, general gap between supply from the Pacific Basin and the easing of coal-to-gas switching efforts, acceleration Middle East has widened, from 45 MT in 2018 to of domestic production, as well as the rising share almost 53 MT in 2019. of renewables. The Atlantic Basin was the region contributing the In other Asian countries, LNG consumption conti- most to incremental volumes (+30 MT or almost nued to grow strongly: in Bangladesh, imports three quarters of new volumes).