LNG

Japanese liquefied natural gas imports plunged by almost 19 percent last month and deliveries of thermal coal dropped by only half as much while US LNG deliveries to Japan rose, tripling from a year ago.

Freeport LNG, the project advancing towards first output by the end of 2019 on Quintana Island in Texas, has received approval from the US Department of Energy for the export of Train 4 volumes to Non-Free Trade Agreement countries, opening the way for marketing to start.

Japan has been returning to nuclear power and now has nine units operating with a total electricity generation capacity of 8.7 gigawatts and a US report has forecast that imported LNG supplies for Japanese gas-fired power plants would likely decline in 2019.