Japan's gas market deregulation reverberates widely
JXTG Group has thrown down the gauntlet to Tokyo Gas in a battle for the domestic retail market
The stakes are high—Japan's retail energy market is worth around $82.8bn. Although it's early days because the gas market was only deregulated in April 2017, most observers expect the current multitude of suppliers—about 200—to shrink to a handful of single-source giants selling electricity as well as gas. As Japan's largest natural gas utility, Tokyo Gas has a lot to defend. The 133-year-old group is the primary provider in nine main cities including Tokyo, with 11,600 residential, commercial and industrial customers. In 2017, gas sales accounted for 56.4% of all group sales and more than 65% of profits. But JXTG has a lot to aim for. Its domestic gas sales are a fraction of those of Tokyo
Also in this section
19 May 2025
The two Gulf states are combining fossil fuel production with ambitions to become leaders in low-carbon energy
15 May 2025
Financial problems, lack of exploration success and political dogma cause uncertainty across much of the region
14 May 2025
The invisible hand of the market has seen increasing transparency but much more needs to be done to build a better understanding
13 May 2025
A fall in Venezuelan output drives overall production lower, as Saudi Arabia starts to slowly bring more crude to the market
