Japan energy report

• In April 2021, Japan has raised its target reduction of GHG emissions for 2030 from 26% to 46%.
• Ten vertically integrated private companies account for around two thirds of the power production.
• JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy is the largest oil company, accounting for 50% of gasoline sales.
• Tokyo Gas and Osaka Gas account for 70% of the gas supply.
• LNG imports are declining rapidly since 2016.
• Japan ranks third in the world for solar PV capacity and coal imports.
• Carbon free sources represent 30% of the power mix.
• The price of electricity in industry is almost 30% higher than in EU countries.
• Energy consumption is decreasing and was 23% lower in 2020 than in 2010, which resulted in a very rapid decrease in energy intensity to the GDP (3%/year).
• The country is facing pressure to reach its 2030 CO₂ emissions and power mix targets, leading to tighter regulations for coal projects, an increase in the gas import capacity, and the development of CCS projects.

• Institutions & Energy Policy

  The METI, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, is in charge of the energy sector through ANRE, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy. ANRE has three departments: the Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy Department, the Natural Resources and Fuel Department, and the Electricity and Gas Industry Department.

• Energy Companies

  Electricity:

  The electricity sector is dominated by 10 regional, private companies (the "Ten EPCOS"), vertically integrated and grouped together in the Federation of Electric Power Companies (FEPC), and by J-Power. The EPCOs' monopoly in their region ended in 2016.

• Energy Supply

  Oil:

  Japan is the world's fifth largest oil importer. Crude oil imports have been decreasing since 2000 (-2%/year over 2010-2019 and -16% in 2020. Slower economic growth coupled with structural trends in the transport sector (shift to electric cars and reduced car use among young generations) and the gradual phaseout of oil-fired power plants are reducing the oil demand.

• Energy Prices

  Gas:

  Gas prices have been decreasing since 2018 for households (-8%/year), reaching US$9.8c/kWh in 2020, and declined in 2020 for industry (-16%), reaching US$3.91c/kWh. Over 2007-2012, the average gas price increased sharply, especially in the industrial sector (+80% between 2007 and 2011).

• Energy Consumption

  Energy consumption per capita decreased from 4.1 toe in 2000 to 3.1 toe in 2020. Electricity consumption per capita was around 7200 kWh in 2020.

  Total energy consumption has been decreasing since 2010 (by 2%/year on average over 2010-2019 and by 7% in 2020) to 386 Mtoe in 2020.

  Graph: CONSUMPTION TRENDS BY ENERGY SOURCE (Mtoe)

• Issues & Prospects

  Using its Global Energy Forecasting Model POLES (baseline called Enerblue 2020), Enerdata foresees the share of oil to account for 26% of the primary energy consumption by 2040, while the share of natural gas would be around 38% and the share of coal around 11%. The remainder (25%) would be covered by nuclear, renewables, and biomass.

• GENERAL OVERVIEW
• INSTITUTIONS AND ENERGY POLICY
• ENERGY COMPANIES
• ENERGY SUPPLY
• ENERGY PRICES
• ENERGY CONSUMPTION
• ISSUES AND PROSPECTS
• DATA TABLES
• ABBREVIATIONS
• GLOSSARY

Download the Table of Contents

Below is a list of the Japan energy market report graphs:

• GRAPH 1: CO₂-energy emissions (MtCO₂)
• GRAPH 2: Installed electric capacity by source (2020, %)
• GRAPH 3: Gross power production by source (TWh)
• GRAPH 4: Power generation by source (2020)
• GRAPH 5: Gasoline & diesel prices (US$/l)
• GRAPH 6: Electricity prices for industry and households (US$c/kWh)
• GRAPH 7: Gas prices for industry and households (US$c/kWh GCV)
• GRAPH 8: Consumption trends by energy source (Mtoe)
• GRAPH 9: Total consumption market share by energy (2020, %)
• GRAPH 10: Final consumption market share by sector (2020, %)
• GRAPH 11: Oil consumption (Mt)
• GRAPH 12: Oil consumption breakdown by sector (2020, %)
• GRAPH 13: Electricity consumption (TWh)
• GRAPH 14: Electricity consumption breakdown by sector (2020, %)
• GRAPH 15: Natural gas consumption (bcm)
• GRAPH 16: Gas consumption breakdown by sector (2020, %)
• GRAPH 17: Coal consumption (Mt)
• GRAPH 18: Coal consumption breakdown by sector (2020, %)

In the Japan energy market report you will find the following tables:

• Economic Indicators: Annual historical data including population, GDP growth, imports and exports, inflation rate, energy security and efficiency indicators, CO₂ emissions.
• Supply Indicators: Historical data including oil and gas reserves, electric and refining capacity, energy production, power production and external trade. All are detailed by energy source.
• Demand Indicators: Historical data including consumption per inhabitant, consumption trends, total consumption by energy source, final consumption by energy source and sector, and electricity consumption by sector.
• Energy Balances: Single table displaying the overall energy industry balance per annum, also graphically displayed by energy sub-segment.
• Infrastructure Projects: Covers power plant projects by energy, technology, status and operator, gas plant projects by status and operator and LNG contracts.

The Japan country dashboards are complemented with country forecasts from EnerFuture (excel file) with scenario comparison.

Data included in the excelsheet:

• Demand: Primary energy consumption, final energy consumption, by fuel, by sector.
• Power: Electricity generation & capacities, by technology.
• CO₂: Total CO₂ emissions.
• Macro-economy: Main macro-economic assumptions.
• Key indicators: Energy intensity, share of renewables, CO₂ emissions per capita and per unit of GDP.