South Korea cuts LNG-burn, leans more on coal and nuclear
Nuclear restarts and coal has displaced LNG in the South Korean power mix as Qatari supply fell away, allowing utilities to defer procurement rather than chase spot cargoes priced above $20 per MMBtu. As a result, LNG’s share in Korean power generation fell to an estimated 22–24 percent in H1-2026, down from roughly 26–28 percent in H1 2025.
Asia invests in domestic energy to curb reliance on imported LNG
Asian countries are stepping up investment in domestic energy to curb reliance on imported LNG, as energy security overtakes cost following the three-month disruption of the Strait of Hormuz. China, India and Pakistan are accelerating spending on coal, renewables and nuclear power to reduce exposure to LNG imports.
South Asia pivots to nuclear amid LNG supply crunch
Bangladesh and Pakistan are fast-tracking plans to expand nuclear power capacity as disruptions to contracted Qatari LNG deliveries and price spikes expose the risk of heavy reliance on imported gas.
Global gas demand slows markedly, amid high spot LNG prices
Weaker industrial activity and high LNG prices have slowed global gas demand markedly in 2025, the International Energy Agency (IEA) finds. Gas demand in the power sector grow by less than 1%, due to high spot LNG prices, improved nuclear availability in Asia and continued renewables growth.
Pakistan fires up oil plants to backfill LNG-to-power shortfall
Pakistan is running furnace oil-fired power plants at full capacity and has delayed nuclear‑plant maintenance after LNG supply disruptions slashed gas‑fired generation to roughly 500 MW, down from 6000 MW installed capacity.
South Korea lifts caps on coal-burn to reduce LNG reliance
South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party today announced the abolition of spring caps limiting coal-fired plants to 80% capacity, alongside boosting nuclear utilization to over 80% from late-60s levels. “We aim to lift coal power caps to ease reliance on LNG for electricity generation,” an official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said, pointing at government strategy to stabilize baseload power.
Pakistan leans on local fuel sources to mitigate LNG supply risk
Pakistan’s diverse domestic energy mix – nuclear, coal and hydropower – is cushioning the country from the global energy price shock following Qatar’s suspension of LNG exports. With nearly three-quarters of its electricity now generated from local sources, Pakistan managed to mitigate the immediate fallout of halt in its contracted long-term LNG deliveries from QatarEnergies.
Nuclear restart in Japan displaces LNG-fuelled generation
TEPCO is rushing to restart of Unit 6 Japan’s largest nuclear power station to displace LNG-fuelled power at a time of escalating gas prices. With 1,356 MW installed capacity, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Unit 6, is could help avoid combustion of 1.3 million tons of imported LNG, based on Japanese government estimates of fuel substitution.
Japan’s LNG-burn falls again on nuclear power rebound
Energy import-dependent Japan has again lowered LNG-burn for power generation to the lowest levels in a decade due to high fuel prices and robust recovery of nuclear baseload power. Japan’s nuclear reactors generated the highest electricity output since the 2011 Fukushima disaster while gas-fired generation fell 25% in the first half this year.
US lowers auto tariffs, makes EU buy more LNG in return
The Trump administration has started to implement a landmark trade deal by lowering auto tariffs to 15% – now the onus is on the EU to purchase $750 billion in US LNG, oil, and nuclear energy products by 2028. Additional long-term deliveries of US LNG will help the EU bring forward its ban on Russian LNG imports to January 2027.
