Doha, February 3 (QNA) - Speakers at a panel discussion on Liquified Natural Gas as an enabler for a low-Carbon future agreed that the State of Qatar plays a pivotal role in providing table and reliable long-term supplies of the commodity, a crucial part of supporting energy security and advancing emissions-reduction efforts.

The session was held as part of the 21st International Conference & Exhibition on Liquefied Natural Gas in Doha.

The panelists affirmed that LNG constitutes a fundamental pillar in achieving a low-carbon energy future while ensuring security of supply, grid stability, and the availability of reliable and affordable energy amid growing global demand.

In this context, Global CEO and Chair of JERA (the world's largest LNG buyer) said that energy markets were experiencing unprecedented volatility on three daily, long-term, and seasonally.

He stressed that LNG was the fastest practical solution to address the intermittency of renewable energy and meet rising demand from data centers, underscoring the importance of diversifying supply sources, developing trading capabilities, and investing in emissions-reduction technologies using existing infrastructure.

For his part, CEO of Technip Energies Arnaud Pieton said that the world was not undergoing an energy transition as much as an energy addition, noting that all energy sources are growing rather than one replacing another.

He said that natural gas was essential for stabilizing electricity grids and, consequently, for expanding the use of renewable energy, pointing out that demand for LNG projects and innovative technologies remains strong and that concerns about oversupply have historically been exaggerated.

Meanwhile, President and CEO of Baker Hughes Lorenzo Simonelli said that natural gas was not merely a transition fuel, but a destination fuel as well, emphasizing that LNG plays a central role in meeting growing global energy demand, particularly with the expansion of data centers and artificial intelligence.

He added that rewriting the energy equation has become a necessity in light of the fragility of electricity infrastructure and mounting pressure on power grids, stressing that LNG is a key element in achieving flexibility, sustainability, and energy security simultaneously.

For her part, Acting CEO of Australia’s Woodside Energy Liz Westcott said that energy demand was rising due to population growth, industrialization in Asia, and the expansion of artificial intelligence in advanced economies.

She pointed to the role of gas-fired power plants in preventing electricity outages during a severe heatwave, despite heavy reliance on renewable energy sources, affirming that natural gas is the essential partner to renewable energy, and without it, grid stability cannot be achieved. (QNA)