An aerial photo shows the LNG storage tanks of the green energy base in Yancheng, East China's Jiangsu Province Photo: VCG

The world's largest 270,000-cubic-meter liquefied natural gas (LNG) tank group was completed on Sunday in the Green Energy Port of Yancheng city, East China's Jiangsu Province. It marks a significant step in the city's green transition push. 

According to the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), the construction of the six 270,000-cubic-meter LNG tank cluster, along with the existing four 220,000-cubic-meter tanks, has expanded the total storage capacity at the Yancheng Green Energy Port to 2.5 million cubic meters, making it the largest LNG reserve base in China.

The completion of the Green Energy Port, the country's largest LNG reserve base, is crucial in enhancing energy security for the Yangtze Delta region and supporting China's green initiative, according to CNOOC.

Independently designed and manufactured by CNOOC, the project has achieved a localization rate of 98.3 percent. 

Among the cluster of LNG tanks, the six 270,000-cubic-meter tanks are the world's first of this size, standing 65 meters high and have a diameter of 100.6 meters, said Li Feng, deputy general manager of CNOOC Gas, Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday.

The successful completion of the tanks positions China among the few countries capable of designing and building super-large LNG storage facilities, according to CNOOC.

On the same day, an LNG carrier operated by CNOOC, the Greenergy Ocean, docked at the port, discharging nearly 60,000 tons of imported LNG into a 220,000-cubic-meter tanks. The vessel is the first in a series of six new LNG ships planned to enhance the transport, storage, and processing capacities of the Green Energy Port, contributing to the role of natural gas as a key clean energy source in China.

According to data from the General Administration of Customs, China imported 71.32 million tons of LNG (approximately 98.4 billion cubic meters) in 2023, up 12.6 percent year-on-year, making it the largest LNG importer globally. 

As natural gas continues to play a growing role in China's energy mix, the China Petroleum Enterprise Association estimates that the consumption of natural gas in China could rise to 421.2 billion cubic meters in 2024, marking a 6.2 percent year-on-year increase, making it one the most important energy bases in China.