World’s largest LNG buyer boosts Aug imports

Japanese imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) rose 4.4 percent in August when compared to the same month a year ago, according to the provisional data released by Japan’s Ministry of Finance.

Japan, the world’s top LNG buyer, imported 7.57 million tonnes of LNG last month compared to 7.25 million tonnes in August 2017, the data shows.

The value of August LNG imports was about $3.49 billion, a rise of 28.6 percent on year.

The country’s coal imports for power generation dropped by 11.3 percent to 11.24 million tonnes last month.

To remind, Japan’s LNG imports declined in June and they were flat in July as the country’s power utilities are bringing online more nuclear reactors that had been shut in the wake of the Fukushima atomic disaster in 2011.

However, Japan has been hit by various extreme weather since the beginning of July with record-breaking heat boosting demand for cooling. The country has also experienced devastating floods and landslides.

LNG World News Staff