Overview of the Northeast Asia energy situation

Rapid economic growth in Northeast Asia has vastly increased regional needs for energy services. In several countries of the region, this ongoing growth has been accompanied by significant environmental problems. The countries of the region already constitute the largest import market for liquefied natural gas (LNG). The region has accounted for a progressively larger share of world primary energy use; its share has risen from under 19% in 1999 to over 25% in 2007. Though the region as a whole possesses resources that could contribute substantially toward its future energy needs, many major energy resources are far from population centers. As such, major infrastructure investments will be required to bring these resources to market. This article provides a description of the current situation of energy demand and supply in Northeast Asia, summarizes recent trends in energy supply and demand, and of the “drivers” that underlie energy use, in the region. Also presented are projections of energy use and of key impacts of energy use, such as greenhouse gas emissions, in the region. Other impacts of continued growth in energy supply and demand in Northeast Asia are reviewed qualitatively.