(Recasts story with measures by Kyushu Electric to obtain fuel supplies)
TOKYO, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Japan’s Kyushu Electric Power is buying the remainder of cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) left after tankers discharge the fuel at ports around Asia as it scrambles for supplies to fuel power stations as electricity demand surges.
The unusual move by Kyushu Electric underscores the power crunch in Japan and other north Asian countries as exceptionally low temperatures grip the region, sending demand for heating and electricity prices through the roof while LNG suppliers have struggled to meet power companies’ needs.
“As an emergency measure, we have begun buying 2,000-4,000 tonnes of LNG left in tankers in Asia after discharging to secure fuel,” a Kyushu Electric spokesman told Reuters by phone on Wednesday.
(Recasts adding detail on call for power saving, fuel switching)
TOKYO, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Japan’s utilities on Tuesday called on the public to save power as electricity generators resorted to using fuel oil, instead of coal, to meet surging demand for heating with frigid temperatures gripping much of the country.
Power prices again jumped to record highs above 200 yen ($1.92) per kilowatt hour (kWh), highlighting a crunch not seen since the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear crisis, as providers scrambled to source supplies.
Japan’s utilities federation issued a statement urging users to save power as its members squeeze as much capacity as they can out of generation units and asked industrial users to help supply the grid. The government also urged the public to conserve energy.