Consumption volume of natural gas Japan 2012-2021

In 2021, the consumption volume of natural gas in Japan amounted to approximately 103.6 billion cubic meters. Figures peaked in 2014, reaching almost 125 billion cubic meters, but indicated a decrease in more recent years.

Dependency on LNG imports

The production volume of natural gas continued its downward trend throughout the past decade. Since the island nation only has scarce natural resources, it is highly dependent on imports. Natural gas remained the largest energy source in electricity generation. Consequently, Japan has been one of the largest importers of liquid natural gas (LNG) worldwide in recent years due to its high demand for electricity generation.

 Expansion of renewable energy

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and become more independent from fossil fuel imports, the Japanese government currently intends to replace fossil fuels with low-carbon energies such as renewables and nuclear energy. In recent years, the share of renewables in electricity generation rose to close to 20 percent and is planned to increase up to 38 percent by 2030.