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China’s coal-to-gas push could triple capacity by 2030
Rystad Energy estimates CTG capacity could rise from 9.4 billion cubic meters per year by end-2026 to 28 Bcm per year by 2030, supported by Xinjiang’s low-cost coal and over 90% plant utilization.
OilPrice reports that China is scaling its coal-to-gas, or CTG, industry as a strategic buffer against supply shocks and geopolitical disruptions to LNG and pipeline routes. The report says China is moving CTG from planning toward execution under the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan covering 2026 to 2030.
According to Rystad Energy, China’s CTG capacity is on track to reach 9.4 billion cubic meters per year by end-2026, then grow to 28 billion cubic meters per year by 2030. The outlet frames that 2030 level as more than four times Austria’s entire coal-produced annual gas demand.
OilPrice also highlights that no other country has developed synthetic gas from coal at meaningful scale, and describes CTG as an expression of China’s energy security doctrine. The report points to Xinjiang province as the CTG expansion hub, citing mine-mouth coal prices averaging 214 yuan, or about $30 per tonne, between April 2025 and May 2026.
Rystad Energy estimates delivered gas economics from Xinjiang, with CTG reaching East China at $9.1 to $9.6 per million British thermal units, generally below China’s average LNG import price. The outlet adds that existing CTG plants are running at over 90% utilization, reflecting continued demand.