Malaysia Hands Over IGU Presidency to France

In a celebration at the Traders Hotel Wednesdayt, Datuk (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hashim, President, International Gas Union (IGU), 2009-2012 Triennium, officially handed over the IGU Presidency for the 2012-2015 Triennium on behalf of Malaysia, to IGU Vice President and Senior Vice-President of TOTAL, France, Jérôme Ferrier.

Since 1931, the International Gas Union has been organising the World Gas Conference (WGC) every three years. The WGC conference and exhibition has become the most important international meeting of the sector. At the end of each IGU Presidency Triennium, the host country is accorded the privilege to host the World Gas Conference.

“We are delighted to hand over to France, what the IGU believes to have been a very successful event. Uniting gas experts and opinion leaders from around the globe, the conference has played host to an impressive number of distinguished speakers and generated discussion and debate on critical issues within the gas industry today and in the future. We have no doubt that WGC2015 will continue to uphold the reputation of this prestigious gas event and we wish them every success,” said Datuk (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hashim.

The 25th World Gas Conference, held 4-8 June and hosted by PETRONAS, was established around the key theme, “Sustaining future global growth,” with the aim to establish the pathway to a sustainable energy future.

The soon to be new IGU President, Jérôme Ferrier, announced that the 26th World Gas Conference will be hosted by France and will take place in Paris on 1-5 June, 2015. The theme for the new Triennial Work Program (2012-2015) will be: Growing together towards a friendly planet and there will be four strategic guidelines pillars: Human Resources for the Future; Natural Gas Available Everywhere; Natural Gas for a Sustainable Development; and Combination with Renewables and Electricity.

“We are much honored to be taking on the important responsibility of promoting the use of natural gas through such an established meeting place, being the World Gas Conference. We must continue to address the world’s challenges such as increasing global energy demand by educating the energy industry on the benefits of natural gas and its imperative role in our energy future,” said Jérôme Ferrier.

Also elected for the 2012-2015 Triennium are: Georges Liens, Coordination Committee (CC) Chairman, GDF SUEZ; Yves Tournié, CC Secretary, TOTAL; and Daniel Paccoud, President NOC, Association Française du Gaz.

“France is among the oldest users of gas with great experience and a long tradition. France is also the country where LNG techniques were developed in the 60s and with its close proximity to the rest of Europe; it will make an ideal location for the next World Gas Conference. Additionally, France has two major players in the gas business with TOTAL and GDF SUEZ who are co-sponsors of the event. TOTAL is currently the fifth largest energy company in the world and the largest company in France and GDF SUEZ is the first buyer of natural gas in Europe,” said Daniel Paccoud.

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LNG World News Staff, June 8, 2012; Image: IGU