Gas Asia Summit & Exhibition 2016 officially opened today with Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) S Iswaran, officiating the opening of the three-day event at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore.
“It is important for a small country like Singapore, which is highly dependent on gas imports, to stay nimble and adaptable to emerging trends and changing global developments. To this end, Singapore has embarked on a series of policy initiatives to more towards a more dynamic gas market,” said Iswaran in his opening address.
More than 300 international industry practitioners, business leaders, and global representatives including ambassadors and dignitaries from Singapore, Japan, New Zealand, UK, US, Canada, Brunei, India, Philippines, Pakistan, Brazil, and Costa Rica attended the event.
The opening ceremony also welcomed keynote addresses from His Excellency Dr Rashid Alleem, Chairman of the Sharjah Electricity & Water Authority (SEWA) and Amos J Hochstein, Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs for the U.S. Department of State. They outlined the importance of energy sustainability and conservation, and provided an insight into energy relations between the US and Asia in the coming years respectively.
“LNG is the buzzword now. Because of the fluctuating oil prices globally, we feel more and more economies will start to use LNG as an energy resource,” said Dr Alleem, while emphasising the need for the industry to be sustainable and environmentally-friendly.
Dr Alleem and Ng Wai Choong, Chief Executive of the Energy Market Authority (EMA) of Singapore, along with other invited guests, also spoke to participating exhibitors and attendees. A busy showfloor and lively conversations between attendees and exhibitors showed that despite tough market conditions locally, cooperation across the supply chain and industry remains a priority. The free-to-attend exhibition has attracted more than 1,500 international registrations, offering an ideal platform and space for bilateral business opportunities.
Tomorrow, a total of 13 commercial, technical and special focus sessions are expected to take place. This includes a special project showcase on the world’s first LNG bulk carrier ship with experts working on the project. Other notable speakers expected to address the conference include representatives from National Development and Reform Commission, PT Pertamina (Persero), Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, PNOC – Exploration Corporation, Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT) - GTT SEA Pte Ltd, AG&P National Korea Maritime & Ocean University, POSCO, Hyundai Heavy Industries, JERA Co.,Inc., Tokyo Gas Asia and more.