Delivering energy security through flexible LNG infrastructure
As demand for secure and reliable energy continues to grow, LNG is playing an increasingly important role in supporting the global energy transition. Mario Azar, Chairman and CEO of Black & Veatch, discusses the growing importance of flexible infrastructure, the rise of floating LNG, supply chain challenges, and the technologies shaping the next generation of LNG projects.
What are your thoughts on the critical role of natural gas in securing the global energy future?
Natural gas remains indispensable to a secure global energy future because it is the most practical and scalable source of reliable intermediate and base-load power available today. While renewables will play an expanding role in the energy mix, they require energy storage to deliver base-load reliability at scale. Natural gas power is highly flexible and dispatchable to service ancillary market needs, filling the role of long-duration energy that no other technology can currently fill.
Natural gas is available at scale today and can be deployed quickly to meet growing energy demand while maintaining reliability and affordability. Stable, affordable, and resilient power systems create the conditions for economic growth, investment, and stronger global trade. Natural gas provides that foundation, helping nations meet rising demand while supporting long-term prosperity and resilience.
How are buyers navigating geopolitical supply chain shocks, and are nearshore and floating LNG (FLNG) solutions taking priority over traditional onshore projects?
We’re hearing from clients around the world that their priority is to get new gas supply online faster and with greater flexibility, especially to bolster energy security. With supply chain disruptions and long lead times for mega-projects, developers are emphasising modular approaches that can be deployed quickly. Floating LNG, or FLNG, is a great example. Many FLNGs have been designed as movable assets, with the ability to exploit a resource over a shorter period and re-deploy to another location at a fraction of the cost and schedule of a new-build facility.
Black & Veatch’s PRICO® liquefaction technology is a major enabler here. It’s a modular single-mixed refrigerant process that powers half of the world’s 14 FLNG projects, precisely because it’s scalable and can be built offsite with shorter schedules. FLNG solutions offer tremendous advantages: they’re fast to market, capital-efficient, and can open up new supply routes from previously stranded gas reserves.
At the same time, global buyers are pursuing a portfolio approach: bolstering their onshore LNG capacity where feasible, while also investing in floating and modular facilities to diversify risk and ensure resilience. The bottom line is that energy planners want infrastructure that can be delivered faster and adapted to changing conditions. We are seeing that FLNG has moved to the forefront of those conversations.
The International Energy Agency has highlighted a wave of new LNG supply capacity hitting the market by the turn of the decade. From an EPC standpoint, what are the bottlenecks that could impact this timeline?
It’s true that there’s huge momentum for new LNG projects to bolster energy security and meet rising demand. From an EPC perspective, however, I see a few key pinch points that could slow things down if not properly managed. One major bottleneck is the availability of skilled engineering talent, combined with supply chain limitations and extremely long lead times for major equipment and construction resources, especially as multiple large projects ramp up simultaneously worldwide. We need to ensure we have trained people ready to deliver at the scale required.
Another is the permitting and regulatory timeline. Even when financing is in place, complex projects can be delayed by slow approvals or regulatory hurdles, and that’s something we must collaboratively streamline. Black & Veatch was recently part of Delfin Midstream’s Final Investment Decision for the first US FLNG facility, which shows how rapid policy changes can activate the energy sector and create business conditions for new supplies of energy.
Finally, what are you looking forward to at Gastech in Bangkok this year?
Gastech is one of the world’s premier gas and LNG forums, and I’m truly looking forward to the global collaboration it fosters. It’s an exciting opportunity to engage in candid discussions about how we collectively advance energy security and transition.
I’m particularly excited to showcase our latest LNG and FLNG innovations, how we integrate them with low-carbon solutions and employ carbon capture with other advanced power generation technologies to create a resilient, future-ready gas value chain. Gastech’s Asia-Pacific stage is extremely important to us, and we plan to demonstrate that Black & Veatch is the partner of choice for delivering end-to-end gas infrastructure, whether onshore or offshore, anywhere in the world.
