Japan’s LNG imports rise 7.8 pct in Sep

Japanese imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) rose 7.8 percent in September when compared to the same month a year ago, according to the provisional data released by Japan’s Ministry of Finance on Thursday.

Japan, the world’s top LNG buyer, imported 6.27 million tonnes of LNG last month compared to 5.82 million tonnes in September 2017, the data shows.

The country’s coal imports for power generation also rose in September by 8 percent to 9.26 million tonnes.

The value of September LNG imports was about $3.43 billion, a rise of 42.6 percent on year.

To remind, Japan’s LNG imports rose in August and were flat in July while they declined in June 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.

Worth noting, 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 during the period.

LNG World News Staff