Japanese Power Utilities Import 39% More LNG in January

Japan’s 10 regional power utilities increased their imports of liquefied natural gas by 39 percent in January, when most of the country’s nuclear reactors remained idled over safety concerns.

Power companies imported 5.19 million metric tons of LNG last month, up from 3.73 million tons a year earlier, according to data today from the Federation of Electric Power Cos.

Oil imports almost tripled to 1.34 million kiloliters (8.4 million barrels), while fuel-oil purchases increased nearly threefold to 1.51 million kiloliters, according to the data.

The average operating rate of nuclear plants in January was 10 percent, down from 66 percent last year, it said. Thermal- power generation rose 29 percent from a year earlier.

Japan had three nuclear reactors with a capacity of 3,138 megawatts, or 6.4 percent of the total, operating at the end of January. Japan ordered safety checks following the meltdowns at Tokyo Electric Power Co. (9501)’s Fukushima Dai-Ichi station last year.

The following table shows Japanese utilities’ consumption and purchases of fuel oil, crude, LNG and coal in January. Fuel oil and crude volumes are in kiloliters, while those for LNG and coal are in tons.

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                January 2012           January 2011

CONSUMPTION
Fuel oil         1,634,893                748,606
Crude oil        1,503,329                698,385
LNG              5,234,278              4,119,179
Coal             4,780,810              5,214,741

PURCHASES
Fuel oil         1,507,478                569,662
Crude oil        1,335,188                487,027
LNG              5,189,890              3,729,421
Coal             5,309,841              4,742,150

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To contact the reporter on this story: Jacob Adelman in Tokyo at jadelman1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Christian Schmollinger at christian.s@bloomberg.net