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After the Fukushima Daiichi accident in 2011, Japan suspended the operation of its remaining 48 nuclear reactors and relied almost entirely on imported natural gas to compensate for the loss of power generation, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In 2015, Japan allowed its first nuclear reactor to resume operation. As of December 2022, 11 GW of nuclear power capacity has been returned to service in Japan, which has reduced LNG imports for power generation.
Since 2015, more and more nuclear power generation in Japan has replaced fossil fuel power generation, mainly natural gas. In 2022, Japan's LNG imports fell by 15% (1.7 billion cubic feet per day) compared to 2015, and Japan's LPG imports are expected to continue to decline. In 2023, Japan restarted Takahama Units 1 and 2, adding about 1Operation of 6 GW of installed power generation capacity. Japan also passed the Decarbonized Electricity** Act last year to establish a decarbonized power system, designating nuclear energy as a major component of baseload electricity.
Since 2015, the nuclear restart has been slow. Japan has restarted 12 units, bringing its current nuclear operating capacity to 11 GW. There are still 10 units under review in Japan, and another 5 units have passed the review but have not yet been restarted. Due to public safety concerns, Japan is focusing on restarting pressurized boiling water reactors (PWRs) rather than boiling water reactors (BWRs). The six-unit Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, a boiling water reactor facility, is being decommissioned along with its sister nuclear power plant, the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
Japan's energy resources are scarce, and most of the fossil fuels used for power generation are imported. In 2022, fossil fuels accounted for 71% of electricity generation, and natural gas accounted for 35% of that share. Japan's LNG imports have declined as more nuclear reactors have been restarted. After restarting five nuclear reactors in 2018, Japan's LNG imports fell by 7% in 2019 and another 7% between 2019 and 2022. Japan has a large number of long-term LNG contracts, with 90% of Japan's LNG imports per year. The remaining share of imports is based on short-term and spot contracts** in 20 countries, including entrepot countries.
For 11 years, Australia has been Japan's largest LNG country**; Its share of Japan's total LNG imports has more than doubled, from 18% in 2012 to 42% in 2023. Qatar ranked second in 2012 and is now Japan's seventh-largest LNG country. Qatar provided 4% of Japan's LNG imports last year, down from 18% in 2012, in part due to the expiration of some of Japan's long-term contracts with Qatar. In 2023, Malaysia was Japan's second-largest LNG country, accounting for 16% of LNG imports. However, in 2012, before Australia dominated the list for a long time, Malaysia was the largest country with 19% of Japan's LNG imports. Other significant LNG players** in 2023 include Russia with 9%, the US with 8% and Papua New Guinea with 6%.
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