Japan's LNG purchases climbed for the first time in three years
Published by Joseph Green,
Editor
LNG Industry,
Reuters are reporting that Japan's LNG purchases climbed for the first time in three years, as the fuel filled the gap in power generation left by the country's slow restart of its nuclear power plants.
The figures underscore Japan's continued reliance on imported fossil fuels for power generation, as it slowly embraces renewable energy, while the majority of the country's nuclear reactors remain shut following the Fukushima disaster nearly seven years ago.
Imports of LNG inched up 0.4% to 83.632 million t, the first annual increase since 2014, helped by a 5.4% rise in December imports as utilities stocked up purchases to prepare for colder weather.
Coal and LNG imports rose last year as court orders and public opposition held up the return of nuclear plants, with only four out of 42 operable reactors running.
Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/liquid-natural-gas/24012018/japans-lng-purchases-climbed-for-the-first-time-in-three-years/
You might also like
IEEFA: Tidal wave of new LNG supply to flood market amid demand uncertainty
Sluggish demand growth for LNG, combined with a record increase in global export capacity through 2028, will likely thrust markets into an extended period of oversupply, according to the latest Global LNG Outlook from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.