Natural gas demand rises in first half

China's apparent demand for natural gas increased some 16.8 percent during the first half of this year, with investment in gas-related utilities up 10.2 percent in the first half, the National Energy Administration said on Monday at a media briefing.

The nation has been stepping up supplies of natural gas from home and abroad, with incremental supply in 2018 witnessing substantial growth compared with the same period last year, especially in the regions with severe air pollution, said Li Fulong, head of the Development Planning Department of the administration.

Many regions are shifting to natural gas for heating as China aims to replace coal with cleaner fuel to fight air pollution, especially in northern provinces, which has helped to drive up consumption of natural gas, he said.