據3月9日Gas World報道，在新加坡實現了成為亞洲液化天然氣中心的目標后，泰國也表達了自己的遠大規劃，希望參與成為亞洲首屈一指的液化天然氣燃料貿易中心的競爭。泰國礦物部液化天然氣管理局代理局長Porrasak Ngamsompark最近在新加坡舉辦的“國際能源周”活動上證實了這一點。

據世界銀行的數據顯示，泰國超過70%的電力生產來自天然氣。按照目前的情況，泰國國內的天然氣產量占該國天然氣需求的70%以上，而來自鄰國緬甸的管道輸送則占其余的30%。

該國的能源政策也以科學的細致的計劃展示如何能把泰國變成一個區域性的燃料貿易中心。從現在到2030年，任何建設天然氣中心的舉措(如果真的實現的話)將為該國經濟注入約50億美元。

從地理角度來看，泰國成為一個樞紐的前景確實很大。它恰好位于液化天然氣需求激增的地區——從中國到日本，再到印度、柬埔寨和越南。更重要的是，它擁有為區域液化天然氣貿易提供服務的基礎設施，這些基礎設施最早可能在2021年啟動。

事實上，馬來西亞首席海事分析師納澤里·哈立德(Nazery Khalid)表示：“泰國在2017年的主要天然氣生產國中排名第22位，而在消費國中排名第13位。天然氣儲量在世界上排名第44位，這使得泰國政府鼓勵發展天然氣產業，并加強了天然氣生態系統。”

王佳晶 摘譯自 Gas World

原文如下：

Thailand reveals LNG hub ambitions

First, it was Singapore that made bare its plans to be an LNG hub in Asia. Not to be outclassed, Thailand too has expressed its own lofty ambitions to get into the race of being Asia’s premier LNG bunker trading hub.

There is plenty of reason why. According to The World Bank, more than 70% of Thailand’s electricity production comes from natural gas.

As it now stands, domestic output is providing for more than 70% of Thailand’s gas needs while pipeline deliveries from neighbouring Myanmar – where gas been found in abundance – account for the rest.

This was affirmed by Porrasak Ngamsompark, Acting Director of the LNG Management Bureau at Thailand’s Department of Mineral Fuels, at an event in Singapore recently when the city-state held its’ International Energy Week.

The nation’s Energy Policy also acknowledged with scientific details how it can turn the nation into a regional trading hub for the fuel. Any move to build a hub, if and when it does come to pass, will inject some $5bn into its economy between now and 2030.

From a geographical standpoint, there does appear plenty of promise for Thailand to be turned into a hub. It lies smack in the region where LNG demand is roaring – right from China, to Japan, to India, Cambodia, and Vietnam. What’s more it has the infrastructure to provide services for regional LNG trading, infrastructure which could get cranking as early as 2021.

In fact, Malaysia’s leading maritime analyst, Nazery Khalid, told gasworld, “Thailand is ranked 22nd as a major gas-producing nation in 2017, while it was the 13th largest consuming nation in the world. Its gas reserves are the 44th largest in the world [thus causing the Thai government] to develop its gas industry and strengthen its gas ecosystem.”