出光兴产拟最早2030年代初向日本销售中东以外来源LNG，实施来源多元化

TOKYO -- Petroleum refiner Idemitsu Kosan will begin Japanese sales of liquefied natural gas imported from regions other than the Middle East, as soon as the early 2030s.
"The Middle East will remain the pillar of petroleum. So for the purpose of source diversification, our basic stance is to procure LNG from places outside of the Middle East," said Atsuhiko Hirano, Idemitsu's chief operating officer.
Currently, Japan's LNG imports are handled primarily by such energy companies as power producer JERA and Tokyo Gas, as well as trading houses such as Mitsubishi Corp. Oil refiner Idemitsu's LNG imports will make the country's supply chain more robust.
Until now, Idemitsu has marketed fuels like petroleum and coal in Japan. It has developed natural gas resources in Southeast Asia and elsewhere, but has supplied it only to the local markets.
In March, Idemitsu announced a $500 million investment in MidOcean Energy, a U.K. company with an LNG portfolio. The Japanese company will procure LNG from MidOcean's interests in Canada, Australia, South America and elsewhere, and sell it globally, including Japan.
The Mideast crisis shows no signs of abating.
According to Japan's trade data for January, LNG from Qatar fetched an import price of 92,000 yen ($580) per metric ton and Canadian LNG was sold for 95,000 yen, while Australian LNG's price came to 89,000 yen.
When used as a fuel for power generation, LNG produces lower carbon dioxide emissions than coal and other fossil fuels. Demand is growing around the world as the rise of artificial intelligence drives electricity demand higher.
Japan's LNG demand will grow 10% between fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2040 to reach up to 74 million tons, predicts the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan.
Idemitsu expects to sell LNG in Japan to manufacturers that are shifting away from coal, and plans to primarily meet the needs of existing clients. It has not set a volume target or other metrics. "First, we're going to identify where demand is," Hirano said.
Other Japanese petroleum companies are stepping up LNG operations as well. LNG is "a realistic bridge fuel" during the transition to renewable energy, said Yasuhiko Oshida, chairman of Eneos Xplora, a subsidiary of Eneos Holdings.
Eneos Xplora is pursuing an LNG project in Papua New Guinea and plans to make a final investment decision by year-end. This may lead to "supply in Japan," Oshida said. Eneos Xplora is one of the two Japanese companies with LNG interests in the Oceania country, with the other being trading house Marubeni.
Tokyo-based Cosmo Energy Holdings will consider building an LNG-fired power plant under a medium-term business plan unveiled in June.