Japex Starts Up Soma Terminal, Fukushima

Japan Petroleum Exploration (Japex) started operations at Soma LNG Terminal in the Fukushima prefecture almost four months after receiving its first LNG cargo in early December, it said March 28.

The Soma LNG Terminal is the first large-scale LNG terminal in Fukushima prefecture, which is composed of a ground-type LNG storage tank with a capacity of 230,000 m³ (or about 100,000 metric tons) – one of the largest in Japan – and two berths. A second tank is under construction, following a contract awarded to Japex by Fukushima Gas Power Co, and is due on line in 2020, when FGP's gas-fired power plant will come onstream, near the terminal. Regasified LNG will go mainly to the wider Tohoku region.

Japex supplies pipeline gas and LNG to its clients such as local gas distribution companies, industry and power generators.