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    Reuters: Japan Pushes LNG for Transport to Help Climate, Energy Security

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Japan, the world's biggest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), is drawing up plans to get trucks and ships to use the fuel, partly to help cut carbon emissions.

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Reuters: Japan Pushes LNG for Transport to Help Climate, Energy Security

Japan, the world's biggest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), is drawing up plans to get trucks and ships to use the fuel, partly to help cut carbon emissions but also to diversify energy sources in the freight sector for security reasons.

A draft report on energy policy discussed at the trade ministry on Thursday stressed the need for a greater variety of fuels to transport cargo and noted the growing international use of LNG and compressed natural gas (CNG) in the sector.

Ryo Minami, the ministry's director of oil and gas, wants 10 percent of the 300,000 trucks used for long-distance transport to be fuelled by LNG soon and a "substantial" part of the fleet to use gas eventually.

"By diversifying fuel in the distribution sector, we aim to improve our ability to respond in the event of an energy crisis," he said. "If oil supplies are halted, distribution will come to a stop."

Gas has taken on added importance since the 2011 Fukushima disaster led to the shutdown of Japan's nuclear power sector. It now accounts for more than 40 percent of electricity generation and LNG imports hit a record high of 89 million tonnes in the year to March. MORE

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