Japanese LNG cargoes decline for a third month and drop by 8 percent for the fiscal year to the end of March
Japanese liquefied natural gas imports decreased for a third straight month and were also 8 percent lower for the whole fiscal year to the end of March as storage was still high amid falling spot prices.
Japanese LNG imports plunge by 19 percent as milder weather and higher energy storage curb demand
Japanese liquefied natural gas imports dropped almost 19 percent in April even as cargo numbers remained stable from Australia but declined from other regions as milder weather and higher energy storage curbed demand for LNG cargoes as well as thermal coal.
Japanese LNG imports fall as power generation demands wane with thermal coal shipments falling even more
Japanese liquefied natural gas imports dropped by 12 percent in March even as cargo numbers remained stable from Australia and Asian nations and with thermal coal shipments falling by more than delivered LNG volumes amid ample stocks and lower demand for power generation.
Japanese LNG imports edge lower after three successive rises as cargo costs surge by 124 percent in July
Japanese liquefied natural gas imports declined last month by 0.4 percent after three successive increases and year-on-year costs more than doubled as volumes increased from Asia and Australia.
Shipments of LNG to Japan’s network of 37 terminals amounted to 6.16 million tonnes in July 2022, or 92 cargoes, compared with 6.19MT, or 91 cargoes, in July 2021, according to the preliminary trade figures from the Japanese Ministry of Finance.
Japan had imported 5.80MT in June 2022 compared with 5.70MT in the same month of 2021.
The nation’s LNG costs in July 2022 amounted to 773.1 billion yen ($5.65Bln), a more that 124 percent increase compared with the 344.99 Bln yen ($2.52Bln) paid in June 2021.
Weaker yen
The effect on Japan’s balance of payments was severe in June as the Japanese yen dropped to a 24-year low against the dollar, though it recovered in late July and August, though dollar-based commodities like energy are still more expensive when converted back into yen.
Japan’s 2021 LNG cargo deliveries had been less than those of China for the first time and came to 74.31MT, down 0.2 percent on 2020 and 4.62MT less that the Chinese total for 2021.
Japanese thermal coal shipments also fell in July to 9.36MT, down by 4.1 percent from July 2021.
The price of thermal coal deliveries jumped higher to 408.46Bln yen ($2.98Bln), up 262.4 percent from July 2021.
During July the volumes of delivered LNG increased from Asia and Australia compared with last year.
Shipments of LNG to Japan in July increased by 19.6 percent to 1.73MT from Asian countries like Malaysia and Indonesia.
Middle East cargo deliveries from nations like Qatar were down by 54.7 percent last month to 401,000 tonnes.
Deliveries from the US increased by 8.9 percent from July 2021 to 665,000 tonnes.
This was higher than the 562,000 imported in July from the Russian LNG plant on Sakhalin Island, which were down 26.1 percent from July 2021.
The balance of LNG imports in July 2022 came from Australia, African nations and the spot market.
That segment of the imports was higher at 2.80MT compared with the 2.48MT logged in July 2021.
Nuclear
As of the start of July 2022, 10 nuclear reactors at six power stations have been given the go-ahead to restart in Japan but only four reactors were in operation.
Several Japanese Prefectures have agreed to restart the reactors, though were awaiting the implementation of safety measures and the completion of other construction work.
Before the Fukushima disaster in 2011, 54 nuclear reactors were in operation in Japan, supplying about 30 percent of the country’s electric power.
The 10 reactors with start-up approvals are at the following six power stations: Ōi, Takahama, and Mihama (Kansai Electric), Genkai and Sendai (Kyushu Electric) and Ikata (Shikoku Electric).
These plants based in western Japan all use pressurized water reactors, which are different from the boiling water reactors at the Fukushima plant than exploded after an earthquake and tsunami.
Japanese LNG imports tumble 17 percent as nation directly replaces gas-fired power with thermal coal
Japanese liquefied natural gas imports plunged almost 17 percent as the nation directly replaced gas-fired power with cheaper thermal coal as LNG prices surged worldwide.
Japanese LNG imports set for annual drop to around 73MT as monthly cargo deliveries again decline
Japanese liquefied natural gas imports fell again in November as Asian and Middle East deliveries dropped and were offset by more cargoes from Australia as the nation headed for an annual fall in LNG imports to under 73 million tonnes as overall power use declined in the economic slowdown.
Japanese LNG imports rebound in June but are well down for first half apart from US shipments
Japanese liquefied natural gas imports rebounded from 2020 declines as they rose last month, though the overall trend was down as half-year imports dropped 5.7 percent, with only US shipments increasing in the first six months.
Japanese spot LNG cargo arrivals in June cost $2.20 per MMBtu more than previous month
Spot liquefied natural gas cargoes delivered to Japan last month cost $2.20 per million British thermal units more than in the previous month even as market prices were much lower and available volumes were high.
Japanese spot cargoes contracted in April show drop of $3.90 per MMBtu versus year ago period
Japanese spot liquefied natural gas cargoes were contracted for Japan last month at a cost of $3.90 per million British thermal units less than in April 2018 and down $1.20 per MMBtu versus March 2019.
Japanese delivered spot cargo price jumps to $11.50 per MMBtu to raise import costs
Japanese spot LNG delivered cargo prices surged to an average of $11.50 per million British thermal units in November, a rise of $4.40 per MMBtu compared with the price a year ago of $7.10 per MMBtu.
