Jera plans winter LNG stock build

The Japanese LNG buyer is looking to avoid a repeat of last year’s supply crunch

Japan’s Jera—the fuel-procurement joint venture (JV) between utilities Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) and Chubu Electric Power—is taking measures to prevent another electricity supply crunch this winter. Jera “will promote additional procurement of LNG... and voluntarily secure and maintain a large LNG inventory throughout the winter season”, in response to "our experience last winter”, the company says. The plans envision increasing inventories to around 2mn t from 1.5mn t for the December-February period. The planned stock build is “unlikely” to risk any knock-on supply crunch, based on the JV’s winter demand outlook. But Jera also called for an “urgent” national discussion on “how to balanc