Japanese LNG imports edge higher in June but six-month total of cargo deliveries show downward trend
Japanese liquefied natural gas imports increased marginally in June even at higher prices, though the half-year figures showed a downward trend for 2024.
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 liquefied natural gas imports rise for second month with more lower-priced Asian and US cargoes
Japanese liquefied natural gas imports increased for a second month with more shipments being supplied by Asian nations and the US at much lower prices while deliveries declined of thermal coal for power generation.
Deliveries of LNG to the nation’s regasification terminal network rose by 6.4 percent in October 2023 to 5.42 million tonnes, or 80 cargoes, from the 5.08MT, or 75 shipments, received in October 2022, according to preliminary trade data from the Japanese Finance Ministry.
Imports in the previous month of September had risen by 3.8 percent to 5.52MT from the 5.32MT received in September 2022.
The Ministry figures also showed that LNG cargoes cost 37.6 percent less in October2023 at 495.56 billion yen ($3.31Bln) compared with 794.76Bln yen ($5.30Bln) in October 2022.
Deliveries of thermal coal to Japanese ports dropped by 5.1 percent year-over-year to 8.61MT.
Asia steady
The Ministry data showed the imports of LNG last month from Asian nations like Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei increased by 26.6 percent from October 2022 to 1.19MT.
Middle East shipments from countries such as Qatar increased by 12.2 percent year-over-year to 421,000 tonnes.
Deliveries from US liquefaction and export plant increased by 175 percent to 568,000 tonnes, though the total was less than the previousmonth’s 707,000 tonnes.
Russian LNG deliveries to Japan fell by 4.6 percent to 506,000 tonnes.
The balance of deliveries to Japan from Australia and the spot market in October 2023 amounted to 2.73MT, which was less than the previous month’s 2.89MT and the 2.92MT logged for this segment in October 2022.
Japan had regained the global No. 1 spot as an LNG importer from China in 2022 with its 72MT of volumes, though the pace of Chinese deliveries has increased in 2023.
Nuclear competition
Japan is also using more nuclear power and intends to bring other reactors on line over the next year or so as public opposition lessens with energy security taking priority.
Almost a dozen reactors are now back in operation compared with the 54 that were online in 2011 before the Fukushima disaster and which had supplied around 30 percent of Japan’s energy needs.
The latest nuclear restart was the Takahama-1 plant owned by LNG importing utility Kansai Electric Power Company and brings to 11 the number of plants in operation from the 33 that are capable of re-starting.
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority is examining the re-start proposals for 10 more N-plants.
Among them is Chugoku Electric Power’s plans to restart the No. 2 reactor at its Shimane nuclear power station in August 2024.
The 11 restarted reactors so far are: Genkai-3 and Genkai-4, Ikata-3, Mihama-3, Ohi-3 and Ohi-4, Sendai-1 and Sendai-2 and Takahama-1, Takahama-3 and Takahama-4.
Japan’s LNG imports drop by 5.4 percent with only Australia and Asian nations increasing pace of deliveries
Japanese monthly LNG imports dropped by 5.4 percent year-on-year as costs increased by more than 50 percent and with the number of shipments from Asian nations and Australia rising as deliveries from other regions fell.
The November 2022 LNG shipments to Japan’s network of 37 terminals amounted to 5.55MT, or 82 cargoes, compared with 5.86MT, or 87 shipments, in November 2021, according to preliminary trade data from the Finance Ministry.
The deliveries last month were, however, higher than those in the previous month of October 2022 when they were 5.08MT.
Those October shipments had been higher by 9.9 percent than the October 2021 deliveries received.
The costs of the November LNG cargoes increased by 52 percent year-on-year to 750.52 billion yen ($5.48Bln) compared with the November 2021 costs of 494.77Bln yen ($3.61Bln), the Ministry data showed.
For the past six months, Japan has seen a record trade deficit for each month, as rising energy and raw material costs have pressured the economy.
While LNG imports fell in November deliveries of thermal coal for power generation also plummeted by 18.5 percent to 8.58MT.
The top eight suppliers of LNG to Japan have most recently been Australia with more than one-third of deliveries, Malaysia, Qatar, Russia, the US, Brunei and Papua New Guinea.
Cargo sources
The November shipments from Russia’s Sakhalin Island plant in the Far East fell 14.4 percent to 446,000 tonnes while deliveries from the US dropped by 52.2 percent versus November 2021 to 191,000 tonnes.
Shipments of LNG from Asia in November increased by 5 percent to 1.62MT.
The Ministry data also showed that Middle East deliveries were the biggest fallers by 54.2 percent to 484,000 tonnes.
The balance of imports and the biggest portion in November 2021 came from Australia with minor additions from African nations and the spot market.
That segment of the imports was well up at 2.81MT compared with 2.34MT in November 2021, though was less than the October 2022 combined import figure of 3.03MT.
Japan has also lagged in increasing nuclear power into the energy mix in 2022.
Since the Fukushima disaster, only 10 reactors have been given the go-ahead to go back into operation compared with the 54 that were online in 2011 and which supplied around 30 percent of Japan’s energy needs.
A further 21 reactors have been decommissioned since 2011 and will never be re-started.
Japanese LNG imports rise by 4 percent in six months and Tokyo pays 90 percent more for Russian cargoes
Japanese liquefied natural gas imports for the first six months of the current fiscal year rose by 4 percent and with deliveries from the Russian Far East Sakhalin liquefaction plant increasing year-on-year and costing 90 percent more than the previous year as more Atlantic Basin shipments pointed at Europe.
Japanese LNG imports edge lower as monthly costs break $6Bln barrier for first time and coal shipments jump
Japanese liquefied natural gas imports declined last month by 0.4 percent, the same amount as the previous month, with shipments increasing from Australia, Russia and the spot market while monthly costs rose to over $6 billion for the first time.
Japan's LNG imports rise 12 percent even as costs sky-rocket 150 percent and Russian and US deliveries fall
Japanese LNG imports rebounded in April to increase by more than 12 percent even as cargo import costs sky-rocketed 150 percent as more spot cargoes were bought and Australian and Asian nations delivered more shipments while Middle East and the US volumes pointed at Europe after Russia’s Ukraine invasion.
Senior Shell executive in Russia Ekaterina Grushetskaya says major would consider joining LNG project
Shell, the global oil and gas major, said it was ready to consider future participation in a new liquefied natural gas project in Russia as the company sees growth potential in supplying more natural gas to satisfy increasing demand in Asia.
Novatek and Japan Bank for International Cooperation sign accord for carbon-capture at LNG plants
Novatek, the operator of the Russian Yamal LNG plant and developer of the Arctic LNG II project, has signed a strategic agreement with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) on financing projects such as carbon-capture around its liquefaction and plants in northern Siberia.
Japanese LNG imports jump for third month along with thermal coal shipments during Olympics hosting
Japanese liquefied natural gas imports jumped for a third month in July with higher volumes arriving from all regions apart from the Middle East at prices over 40 percent higher than a year ago, while thermal coal shipments for power use also jumped as the nation hosted the Olympic Games.
The July 2021 LNG shipments amounted to 6.18MT, or around 90 cargoes, which was 2.5 percent higher than the 6.03MT received in July 2020, according to the trade figures from Japan's Ministry of Finance.
The June deliveries had amounted to 5.70MT, up 8.5 percent from the 5.26MT received in June 2020.
Japan’s shipments in July 2021 cost 343.62 billion yen ($3.21Bln), a rise of 42 percent on the 242.14Bln ($2.20Bln) spent in July 2020 for slightly fewer cargoes.
LNG competes mainly with thermal coal for power generation in Japan.
Japan’s thermal coal imports in July 2021 came to 9.81MT, which was 10.90 higher than the level of shipments a year ago and on June’s imports of 7.49MT of thermal coal.
Nuclear power generation in Japan is still much reduced with only five plants with nine reactors from a total of 16 plants with 50-plus reactors having gained the agreement of local authorities to resume operations.
Just nine of these reactors are currently on line at six plants.
LNG cargo deliveries to Japan during July 2021 from nations such as Malaysia and Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Brunei rose by 24.6 percent to 1.44MT compared with July 2020.
Middle East shipments from countries like Qatar and Oman dropped 8.8 percent year-on-year to 886,000 tonnes.
Shipments from Russia last month almost doubled to 761,000 tonnes. US cargo deliveries to Japan also jumped year-on-year but at a more modest 31 percent to 611,000 tonnes.
The balance of imports in July 2021 came from Australia, African nations and the spot market.
That segment of the imports was higher than the previous month at 2.48MT compared with 2.25MT in June 2021.
Annual shipments of LNG to the Japanese import network of 37 facilities came to 74.46MT in 2020, down 3.7 percent compared with the 77.32MT received in 2019.
Imports by the world’s largest buyer of LNG have continued to drop in recent years. The 2019 total of 77.32MT was 6.7 percent lower than the 82.85MT logged in 2018.
