Gastech 2026 Opens in Bangkok with a Clear Message: the Industry Must Deliver More Energy for a Growing World

The event welcomes more than 50,000 attendees, 800+ global exhibitors and 800+ high-level speakers, including senior ministers, policymakers, CEOs and investors from across the global value chain, making it the largest gathering for the natural gas and LNG industry this year. Under the theme "Where Global Supply Meets Demand", Gastech 2026 turns this global reach into tangible impact, driving coordinated action on the shared global priorities of energy security, affordability and reliability.

Speaking to the inextricable link between energy and economic growth, H.E. Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, opened the Gastech Inauguration with a call for closer cooperation and bolder investment in the energy projects that will underpin Asia's continued transformation and unlock new opportunities for billions across the globe:

"The world today is facing challenges of extraordinary complexity. Geopolitical tensions are reshaping energy trade while economies are seeking greater resilience. At this defining moment, energy is not simply a commodity, energy is critical, enabling nations to grow, innovate, and improve the quality of life. This is why we must pursue an energy future that balances three essential priorities: energy security, affordability, and sustainability."

Delivering his opening remarks, H.E. Akanat Promphan, Minister of Energy, set out Thailand's strategy for meeting surging power needs while building a more competitive and secure system that can support industrial transformation and AI ambition:

"As we look ahead, building energy security while making progress on the energy transition is not just a destination, it is a journey that will require technology, innovation, investment, and cooperation to move forward together. Thailand is not only an ideal venue for Gastech, but also a natural partner for this next generation of energy collaboration, helping to transform today's challenges into opportunities and ambition into action."

These opening addresses set the stage for the launch of the Strategic Conference, which featured ministers from Nigeria, Oman, Singapore and Timor-Leste, alongside the policymakers and institutions that set the rules of global energy trade. Together, these decision-makers aligned on a pragmatic response to the world's mounting energy demands, recognising the value that every resource brings to the diversified and abundant energy mix that keeps global markets moving forward.

The programme opened with its flagship ministerial panel, titled 'The Energy Reset: Who Controls Power in the New Global Order?', which examined how ongoing developments are reshaping global energy markets and priorities, and how governments must respond to the energy demands and supply pressures of a rapidly evolving global landscape. H.E. Eng. Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi, Minister of Energy & Minerals, Oman, stated: 

"We need more energy, we need more exploration, more collaboration. But in my honest opinion, we need more understanding of each other, and we need more peace to allow us to do what we are good at. Because the fundamentals of producing oil and gas have not changed. If anything, they are better than before. The technology has improved. We know how to produce it, how to liquefy it, how to transport it. The issue now is the last part: getting it out to the consumers who need it most."

The Strategic Conference also delivered direct insights from one of the 21^st century's most influential global leaders, as the Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, explored how governments and industry should navigate this evolving landscape, why abundant and affordable energy matters more than ever, and what it will take to turn a period of disruption and competition into one of investment, innovation and growth:

"Energy security is a vital part of every country's independence and overall security, and we need to have diverse energy supplies for industry and for AI. When you look at energy policy today, it is right up there with defence in terms of how you think about security in the broader sense and economic prosperity for the future."

The private sector took centre stage as the conference's leadership sessions convened the executives who produce, finance, ship, trade and deliver the world's energy. Senior figures from PTT, PETRONAS, INPEX, Woodside Energy, YPF, NNPC, Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, JERA, Venture Global, Baker Hughes and Trafigura advanced the partnerships, investment commitments and infrastructure projects needed to accelerate energy growth and meet increasingly complex global demand pressures.

Tengku Muhammad Taufik, President & Group CEO, PETRONAS, said: "The theme of Gastech 2026 - Where Global Energy Supply Meets Demand - could not have been more appropriate because that is what Asia needs. What we like about working with our partners in Asia is that policymakers have been pragmatic, they have not forced a fuel idealism or ideology-driven policy that compels people to respond in unrealistic ways. Policymakers have moved to far more pragmatic approaches in deciding how the energy mix is built."

The opening day also saw the launch of specialised programmes unfolding alongside Gastech's leadership sessions: the Electrification Strategic Programme, delivered in partnership with EGAT; the Global Energy Regulators Forum; the Low Carbon Solutions and Hydrogen programmes; and a dedicated Japan Energy Programme examining how the country's LNG strategy is shaping markets across the region.

Drawing particular attention was the launch of AixEnergy, a new event co-located with Gastech which tackles the defining relationship of the decade: how artificial intelligence is transforming energy operations, and how the sector is racing to supply the energy that will power AI and the data centres driving record growth in electricity demand.

Beyond the conference, Gastech's exhibition is where strategy becomes commercial reality. Anchored by co-hosts Chevron, ExxonMobil and Shell, with Thailand's National Consortium Partners EGAT, PTT and Gulf and National Consortium Supporters RATCH and EGCO, the show floor connects the entire industry from demand to delivery.

From the start of the day, the floor was busy with bilateral talks, innovation showcases and the development of new commercial partnerships, with the week's first agreements already forming. With Gastech 2025 driving a record $60 billion in deals, 2026 will continue to facilitate the projects and investments that will reshape worldwide energy growth.

Launching the 54^th year of Gastech, Christopher Hudson, President of dmg events, welcomed government and industry leaders with a clear message: meeting the world's growing demand for energy will require collaboration at an unprecedented scale. He said:

"No single nation, no single company, no single technology alone can deliver energy at the scale this moment demands. It takes partnership. It takes collaboration. It takes technology. That is why Gastech exists. This is not another conference. This is a working room where diplomacy happens, policy gets shaped, and deals get signed."

With leaders from every sector and region in attendance, Gastech 2026 continues to hold its place as the meeting point where the global energy industry moves from ambition to action. Over the days ahead, conversations will centre on the mounting energy needs of widescale electrification and AI expansion, as the event lays the foundations for the next chapter of global progress.  

About Gastech

Gastech is the world's largest exhibition and conference for natural gas, LNG, low-carbon solutions, hydrogen, shipping, AI for energy and electrification. Gastech 2026 is expected to welcome more than 50,000 attendees from over 150 countries, 800+ exhibiting companies and 800+ speakers

For further information and registration, visit the official Gastech website. https://www.gastechevent.com 

For media accreditation, visit the Gastech media centre. Register here 

About dmg events

Since 1989, dmg events has created connections that enable growth by bringing together global industries, governments and innovators to drive collaboration, unlock commercial opportunity and advance meaningful progress across the world's most important markets. Through high-impact events and strategic partnerships, dmg events supports businesses and communities to navigate change, accelerate innovation and build sustainable success.

Operating from 13 offices worldwide, dmg events delivers more than 30 energy and policy events annually. Across four continents, its leading events, including ADIPEC and Gastech, bring together policymakers, industry leaders, investors and innovators to engage on the priorities shaping the future of energy systems and global markets.