天然气仍将以增加其对全球能源结构中所占的份额，虽然放缓，从去年的2.7％的预测，现在和2018年间每年2.4％，国际能源署（IEA）表示，在其新发布的中期天然气市场报告（MTGMR） 。放缓是由于需求持续疲软，在欧洲以及中东和非洲的上游产量增长的困难。然而，预测天然气作为运输燃料，继续强调其实力，这个时代作为一种新兴的燃料。

该报告认为气体逐渐成为一个重要的运输燃料。执行摘要指出：“天然气利用公路运输占1.4％，在2012年，全球天然气需求，但消费的增长到50亿立方米左右，在同一时期（9.4％的额外的天然气需求，到2018年这一份额将上升至2.5％） “。

得益于丰富的页岩气在美国和在中国中更严格的环保政策，天然气有望做更多的减缓石油需求增长比电动车和生物燃料联合。内容提要：“中国矮化其消费量的三倍至39亿立方米的其他地区，由于发展的需要相结合，开发更清洁的运输车辆，有吸引力的天然气价格与石油和希望减少对石油的依赖，通过替代车辆技术“。

“尽管我们已修订我们的增长预测下调，”黄金时代“的气体仍然如火如荼，”国际能源署（IEA）执行干事玛丽亚·范德胡芬说，她提出的报告在圣彼得堡。“天然气是发电的主要燃料，但在未来五年也将看到它作为重要的运输燃料供应充足，以及对石油的依赖和空气污染的担忧，带动新兴。一旦基础设施障碍，解决天然气重型运输中具有重大潜力的清洁能源使用，，电气化是不可能的。“

报告谈到气十足的价值链，这意味着天然气供应充足，发展和建设液化厂养活LNG重型车辆，以及液化天然气（LNG）或/和压缩天然气加气站同步发展的需要。内容提要：“经济学应该是有吸引力的天然气价值链的所有部件，尤其是业主的汽车或卡车的车队。使用LNG作为一个货运燃料似乎回答了很多的关注，特别是鸡和鸡蛋的问题，车队所有者可以组队与LNG零售商和积极的投资回报，可在几年内达到。汽车行业应该能够提供足够数量的车辆引进天然气汽车在他们的产品范围，并努力降低价格溢价替代汽油或柴油车辆，提供经济和政策激励措施产生这类车辆的需求。必要条件包括：统一的标准和规则，参与货运的人员提供适当的培训;处理天然气汽车加气站;成天然气汽车和改装车辆。“

该报告也承认非公路部门，如从海洋和铁路应用的需求不断增长的需求和潜力。

Natural gas will continue to increase its share of the global energy mix, albeit slowing from last year’s prediction of 2.7% down to 2.4% per year between now and 2018, the IEA said in its newly released Medium-Term Gas Market Report (MTGMR). Slowing is due to persistent demand weakness in Europe as well as difficulties in upstream production growth in the Middle East and Africa. However, prediction for natural gas as a transportation fuel continues to emphasize its strength as an emerging fuel for this era.

The report sees gas emerging as a significant transportation fuel. The Executive Summary states: “Gas use in road transport represented 1.4% of global gas demand in 2012, but this share should rise to 2.5% by 2018 as consumption grows to around 50 bcm in the same period (9.4% of additional gas demand).”

Thanks to abundant shale gas in the United States and amid more stringent environmental policies in China, gas is expected to do more to slow oil demand growth than electric vehicles and biofuels combined. From the Executive Summary: “China is dwarfing developments in other regions as its consumption triples to 39 bcm, due to the combination of the need to develop cleaner transport vehicles, attractive gas prices versus oil and the wish to reduce oil dependency through alternative vehicles technologies.”

“Even though we have revised our growth estimates downwards, the ‘Golden Age’ of gas remains in full swing,” said IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven as she presented the report in Saint Petersburg. “Gas is already a major fuel in power generation, but the next five years will also see it emerging as a significant transportation fuel, driven by abundant supplies as well as concerns about oil dependency and air pollution. Once the infrastructure barriers are tackled, natural gas has significant potential for clean-energy use in heavy-duty transport where electrification is not possible.”

The report speaks to the need for simultaneous development of the full gas value chain, which implies developing sufficient gas supply and building liquefaction plants to feed LNG heavy-duty vehicles, as well as LNG or/and compressed natural gas refilling stations. Executive Summary: “The economics should be attractive for all parts of the gas value chain, in particular owners of fleets of cars or trucks. Use of LNG as a trucking fuel seems to answer many concerns, in particular the chicken-and-egg issue, as fleet owners can team up with LNG retailers and a positive return on investments can be reached within a few years. The car industry should be able to deliver a sufficient number of vehicles by introducing NGVs in their product range, and by working on decreasing the price premium over alternative gasoline or diesel vehicles, provided that economics and policy incentives generate demand for such vehicles. Necessary conditions include: the harmonisation of standards and rules; proper training of personnel involved in trucking; handling NGVs and filling stations; and retrofitting vehicles into NGVs.”

The report also acknowledges the growing demand and potential for demand from non-road sectors such as from marine and rail applications.