Japanese utilities boost LNG use

The ten regional electric power companies in Japan consumed 27.4 million tonnes of LNG in the six months to end September, up 1.2 percent compared to the same period in 2013.

The power companies bought 28.6 million tonnes of LNG in the mentioned period, data from the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan (FEPC) showed.

Total energy generated and purchased across the ten companies in the first half of fiscal 2014 declined by 3.9% from a year earlier to 434.51 billion kWh, due mainly to decreased heating demands caused by relatively higher temperatures in April than last year, FEPC said.

Power companies account for two-thirds of total Japanese LNG imports.