Global natural gas consumption is expected to rebound this year as easing price volatility and rising economic activity boosts LNG imports from China and South Asia and North America’s power market continues to cut coal-fired capacity, according to the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).

Researchers with the organization headquartered in Qatar in the annual report said gas consumption could grow to an all time high through 2024. Gas consumption had been trending upward after collapsing during the Covid-19 pandemic, but demand reversed again in 2022.

A combination of mild weather, high liquefied natural gas prices and the invasion of Ukraine last year led to a 0.4% decline, reducing gas consumption to 4.03 trillion cubic meters (Tcm). This year, policies to cut emissions from...