Japan and Singapore take steps to foster LNG opportunities

Japan’s power generation company JERA, a joint venture of two major Japanese electric power companies, TEPCO Fuel & Power Incorporated and Chubu Electric Power Company, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA) to cooperate on areas in liquefied natural gas (LNG) procurement and supply chains, benefitting both countries.

The duo is set to exchange best practices and knowledge under the MoU, and also explore collaboration opportunities in LNG procurement and supply chain management, building on the memorandum of cooperation (MoC) on LNG collaboration and energy transitions signed in October 2022 between Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry.

Ryosuke Tsugaru, JERA’s Senior Managing Executive Officer and Chief Low Carbon Fuel Officer, remarked: “This MoU signifies our shared commitment to strengthening energy security and fostering mutual cooperation in LNG procurement and optimisation between JERA and Singapore. Through this MoU, JERA and EMA will seek to establish a more stable, resilient, and cost-efficient energy flow into both Japan and Singapore leveraging their mutually complementary relationship.”

The Japanese player recently entered into a similar MoU with Indonesia’s power giant PT PLN (Persero) to collaborate on the development of an LNG value chain and inked a deal with the Association for Overseas Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Partnerships (AOTS) related to the adoption of LNG in the Philippines.

Soh Sai Bor, EMA’s Assistant Chief Executive, commented: “Natural gas will continue to be a major part of our energy mix even as we pivot to and scale up lower carbon sources in the medium to longer term. EMA is pleased to partner JERA to mutually strengthen our LNG supply chains. This is another step forward in Singapore’s efforts to enhance the security and reliability of natural gas supply with stable and competitive pricing for our power sector in our energy transition.” 

JERA is scheduled to carry out what is described as ‘the world’s first example of truck-to-ship bunkering of fuel ammonia’ next month, supplying ammonia to an ammonia-fueled tugboat (A-Tug) owned by NYK Line. Last month, the company concluded a project framework agreement with ExxonMobil to jointly explore the development of low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia production in the United States.