Japanese LNG Terminal Opens after Disasters

The only Japanese liquefied natural gas import terminal impacted by the March earthquake and tsunami is set to reopen on Tuesday with the arrival of a ship carrying the fuel from Malaysia.

The Shin Minato LNG import terminal in Sendai City, the capital of Miyagi Prefecture, supplies fuel to about 360,000 households in the city and surrounding areas. The terminal, in the logistic hub of region, is expected to be fully restored around May next year.

Resource-poor Japan imports almost all of its oil and gas to feed its economy, now the world’s third-largest after the United States and China. Japan is by far the world’s largest LNG importer.

Demand for LNG has been rising sharply in Japan as an alternative fuel to atomic power generation in the wake of the March 11 twin natural disasters, which triggered the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant.

-- Contact Hisane Masaki at yiu45535@nifty.com.