Japan Consumes More Oil, More LNG in Fiscal Year Ending March
With only one out of 54 of its nuclear plants working, Japan's crude oil, heavy fuel oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) consumption had surged in the last fiscal year ending March 31.
Data from the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan on Monday showed the crude oil consumption of Japan's power providers hit 11.6 million kilolitres of crude oil, or 199,429 barrels a day, a 143 per cent jump from a year ago.
The same trend was also seen in the country's usage of heavy fuel oil which grew 88 per cent from a year ago, translating to 11.8 million kilolitres of heavy fuel oil, or 203,733 barrels a day. LNG consumption likewise soared 27 per cent to 52.9 million metric tonnes.
Ever since the 2011 crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant brought by the March earthquake and tsunami, public perception and faith had diminished on the use of atomic power, consequently preventing the reactivation of the country's other reactors that were shut for routine checks. Of the suspended 54 reactors, only one remain online, the Hokkaido Electric Power Co.-operated Tomari No. 3 Unit, but this too has scheduled to be shut down on May 5 for inspection.
Before the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant meltdown, nuclear power provided 30 per cent of Japan's total electricity requirements.
Data supplied by the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan further showed the average operating rate of nuclear plants in the latest fiscal year dropped 24 per cent, compared from 67 per cent a year earlier.
Japan's atomic utilisation rate in 2011 was its lowest since starting its first reactor in fiscal 1968.
In March alone, Japan's nuclear power plant utilisation rate for the 10 utilities with reactors plummeted to a record low 4.2 per cent from 58.3 per cent a year earlier and is expected to drop further this month with the closure of the Hokkaido Electric Power Co.-operated Tomari No. 3 Unit.
Over the weekend, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda declared as safe to reactivate and operate the No.3 and No.4 units at Kansai Electric Power's Ohi plant. PM Noda in effect issued the statement in effect to avoid a summer power crunch. However, restarting the nuclear power plants need the approval of the local governments which will take time.
