Japan develops measures to save city gas

Tokyo, Sept. 5 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s economy ministry on Monday released draft measures to encourage households and businesses to save city gas if the country faces a shortage of natural gas liquid, a raw material for town gas.

The draft calls for allowing the government to order corporate users of large land to reduce the use of town gas as a final means of balancing supply and demand when supply remains tight despite gas conservation efforts households and businesses.

The ministry aims to submit a bill to the Diet, Japan’s parliament, in the fall to revise the gas trading law to introduce the gas-saving system.

Japan is dependent on imports for its LNG supplies, purchasing around 9% of its annual LNG imports from Russia. Preparations for possible disruptions in LNG imports are needed both in terms of supply and demand, ministry officials said.

Currently, Japanese authorities are allowed to order companies using large batches to reduce their electricity consumption and to impose fines on those who do not comply with the order. The government does not plan to limit the use of liquefied petroleum gas.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]