Betting on black China risks US$14b on coal-to-gas pilot

China is spending US$14 billion on pilot projects to turn coal in remote parts of the country into natural gas, a risky bet that could help meet the country’s surging demand for the cleaner fuel.

As China triples natural gas use to around 10 per cent of total energy demand by the end of the decade, it needs to find fresh sources of supply if it wants to avoid costly imports from Australia, Indonesia, Qatar and Turkmenistan.

via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1056346/betting-black-china-risks-us14b-coal-gas-pilot