APEC CEO Summit on the 31st
"Asia Pacific LNG Connect" Held
Choi Jae-won, Senior Vice Chairman of SK Group, emphasized that "Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is no longer a 'bridge fuel,' but a 'partner fuel' that will lead the era of artificial intelligence (AI)," adding, "In order to ensure a stable and sustainable supply, we must expand global cooperation."
Choi Jae-won, Senior Vice Chairman of SK Group, is delivering the keynote speech at the Asia Pacific LNG Connect session of the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit held on the 31st at the Gyeongju Arts Center in Gyeongbuk. SK
On the 31st, during his keynote speech at the Asia Pacific LNG Connect session of the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit held at the Gyeongju Arts Center in Gyeongbuk, Senior Vice Chairman Choi underscored the importance of LNG in driving the AI era and stressed the need for international collaboration to secure a stable supply.
This event, organized as part of the APEC CEO Summit hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, brought together major energy companies from the Asia-Pacific region to discuss the sustainability of the LNG industry and the strategic role of U.S. LNG, while exploring avenues for cooperation.
Senior Vice Chairman Choi noted, "As AI grows rapidly, electricity demand is also surging," and projected, "By 2030, the energy consumption of data centers will approach 4% of global electricity-reaching 1,000 terawatt-hours (TWh), which is equivalent to the total electricity consumed by all households in the United States." He raised the critical question, "Where will this enormous energy come from, and how can it be supplied reliably and in an environmentally friendly way?"-framing it as a key global challenge.
As a solution, Senior Vice Chairman Choi stated, "Natural gas and LNG will play a pivotal role," emphasizing that "LNG is not only a key fuel for the energy transition, but also a catalyst for innovation and the future itself." He particularly highlighted the strategic significance of U.S. LNG, saying, "Even when Europe's natural gas supply was unstable recently, it was U.S. LNG that kept factories running and homes warm," and stressed, "U.S. shale gas and LNG are at the core of reliability."
In conclusion, Senior Vice Chairman Choi remarked, "Ensuring sustainable and reliable energy for AI is not something any single organization or country can achieve alone," adding, "Governments, businesses, and stakeholders around the world must join forces to address this challenge together."
Meanwhile, the event was attended by Senior Vice Chairman Choi, SK Innovation CEO Cho Hyungwook, and other key executives from SK Group, as well as Harold Hamm, Chairman Emeritus of Continental Resources (USA), Sean Feit, Executive Vice President of Santos (Australia), and Yumiko Yao, Managing Executive Officer of Tokyo Gas (Japan), along with major executives from 10 companies across 6 countries. Participants shared updates and outlooks on their respective LNG businesses and engaged in in-depth discussions on global cooperation strategies.
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