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Japan energy mix to maintain

oil at 30% – for now

POLICY JAPAN’S government has announced that it
will not, now at least, be looking to change the
make-up of the nation’s current energy mix, at
least in as far as oil is concerned.
This in effect will see Tokyo depend on crude
oil imports for 30% of its main energy supply for
at least the next decade.
Hints were, however, dropped that demand
could be adjusted if output were not satisfied in
the short term.
Speaking in a regular press conference on
November 5, and answering a question posed
by media from the Middle East, Japan’s new
Trade and Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda
announced “oil is used for a wide range of activ-
ities such as transportation, people’s livelihood,
etc, and also it is essential in the event of a disas-
ter” – the latter thought to be an indirect refer-
ence to Japan’s increase in crude imports in the would not be impossible for Japan to rely more
immediate aftermath of the March 2011, Fukus- heavily on renewables if need be.
hima nuclear power plant (NPP) disaster. Tensions have risen slightly between Japan
At the same press conference, Hagiuda, in just and major oil producers, in particular Saudi
his first full month in post, also said that Japan is Arabia, leading the Kingdom’s Energy Minister
looking to reduce overall consumption by 46% Abdullah Aziz to state recently that Japan had
prior to 2030, a figure industry and environment made no formal request for an increase in crude
analysts in Tokyo see as posing an incredible production.
challenge to the world’s third-largest economy. Hagiuda brushed this off by saying: “I think
Hagiuda went on to say that following the it means that the minister hasn’t talked to me
October 2021 approval of Japan’s Sixth Basic directly because a video conference hasn’t been
Plan on Energy by the ruling Cabinet, there are co-ordinated yet.”
no immediate or even long-term plans to initiate Asked about a similar lack of response from
either an increase or, as had been anticipated on the United Arab Emirates, who, according to
the back of the promised 46% cut, a decrease in Japanese media, have also been requested to
crude oil use, at least prior to 2030. increase production to meet demands from
Continuing, he said: “I think it is important Tokyo, Hagiuda shifted the focus onto his
to inform oil-producing countries that Japan is nation’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
not only suffering from recent high oil prices, but “I clearly explained our needs to the UAE and
also needs to ensure stable supply and demand (now former) Foreign Minister (Toshimitsu)
in the future,” Minister Hagiuda’s reference to Motegi also contacted Kuwait. I think there is
ensuring demand initially raised a few eyebrows a feeling among oil producing countries that if
in Tokyo – informally at least – in hinting that it they increase production, they are not sure if we
will really buy (it), so I would like to continue to
convey Japan’s thoughts on this matter.”
At present, Japan is working towards non-fos-
sil fuels supplying in the region of two thirds of
its energy mix by fiscal 2030-2031 according to
a Strategic Energy Plan released this summer, a
number twice as high as seen in practice just a
year ago.
By the same period, LNG is still expected to
account for a fifth of all energy supplies, coal 19%
and crude imports just 2% – an immense drop
over the course of the next ten years.
In the same timeframe renewables are antic-
ipated to climb to around 37% of the total, with
the majority of this coming from offshore wind
and solar. Nuclear energy is expected to add
another 20%-21% to the total.™

Week 45 12•November•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P7