The "Olympics" of the energy sector, the World Gas Conference, will make its debut in China, taking place in Beijing from May 19 to 23, said the organizing committee on Friday.

The event will feature over 80 events including opening and closing ceremonies, high-level discussions, plenary sessions, parallel forums, and more, with more than 3,000 delegates expected to attend from 70 countries.

The conferences will focus on the strategic role of gas in achieving carbon neutrality goals, revolving around the theme of empowering a sustainable future. Discussions will span six major directions: global energy landscape, energy transition, regional gas development, energy and finance, global liquefied natural gas (LNG) prospects, and digitization and technological innovation.

With a total exhibition area of about 50,000 square meters, the event will host over 200 Chinese and foreign companies. Exhibitors include top foreign energy firms such as ExxonMobil, Shell, TotalEnergies, and BP, as well as domestic energy giants such as PetroChina, Sinopec, CNOOC, and State Grid Corp of China.

Li Yalan, chair of the International Gas Union, the event's host, said that natural gas, as the world's third-largest energy source, accounts for 24 percent of the energy consumption globally. "With its robust infrastructure advancement and rapid LNG development, natural gas plays a crucial role in ensuring energy security."

Over the past decade, China's annual natural gas consumption has surged from under 200 billion cubic meters to over 426.05 billion cubic meters, with an average annual growth rate of about 8.4 percent. The proportion of natural gas in China's energy structure has gradually increased to 9 percent, according to the IGU.

"As a long-term partner in renewable energy, natural gas has not only driven China's economic and social growth but will also effectively support the country's energy transition and carbon neutrality goals," Li said.

Lai Xianyu, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, highlighted Beijing as China's largest consumer and the world's second-largest consumer of natural gas. "Beijing is striving to establish itself as a global hub for energy cooperation," Lai said.