Japan energy report

• In April 2021, Japan raised its target reduction of GHG emissions for 2030 from 26% to 46%. The country also targets a share of 36-38% of renewables in the power mix in 2030.
• 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.
• Total energy consumption decreased by 2%/year over 2010-2019 and by 7% in 2020. This resulted in a very rapid decrease in the 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 Efficiency 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

  Gas:

  Japan is the world's largest LNG importer. Over 2014-2020, imports decreased by around 3%/year to 95 bcm in 2020. LNG imports represent approximately 20% of the world's total LNG trade. Between 2010 and 2014, imports increased rapidly to compensate the drop in nuclear production.

• Energy Prices

  Electricity:

  Prices were US$16.2c/kWh for industry and US$25.5c/kWh for households in 2020. Between 2007 and 2012, nominal prices soared by 68% for industry and 57% for households, but have since decreased by 17% and 12%, respectively.

  Graph: ELECTRICITY PRICES FOR INDUSTRY AND HOUSEHOLDS (US$c/kWh)

• 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 7400 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.

  The energy intensity to the GDP has been decreasing since 2010 at the rapid average pace of 3%/year.

• 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.