Chapter 7 Energy (PDF:78KB)

1. Supply and Demand

Japan is dependent on imports for 81.0 percent of its energy supply. Since experiencing the two oil crises of the 1970s, Japan has taken measures to promote energy conservation, introduce alternatives to petroleum, and secure a stable supply of petroleum through stockpiling and other measures. As a result, its dependence on petroleum declined from 77.4 percent in fiscal 1973 to 43.7 percent in fiscal 2010. However, Japan is growing increasingly dependent on fossil fuels (including natural gas and coal) other than petroleum. The country therefore needs to further promote energy saving and develop and diffuse renewable energy.

In fiscal 2010, the total primary energy supply in Japan was 23,123 petajoules, up 6.3 percent from the previous fiscal year. Its breakdown was: 43.7 percent in petroleum, 21.6 percent in coal, 17.3 percent in natural gas, 10.8 percent in nuclear power, and 3.1 percent in hydro power. Other sources were also used, though only in small quantities, including energy from waste, geothermal, and natural energy (solar energy, wind power, biomass energy, etc.).

In an effort to prevent global warming, the government has been reducing energy waste by taking such measures as energy saving and improving power generation efficiency. The government has also been promoting the introduction of methods of generating electricity that do not produce CO₂, including non-fossil fuel energy.

 

Japan's final energy consumption was increasing almost steadily since the mid-1980s. It then turned downward in fiscal 2005, but a 4.0-percent increase from the previous fiscal year was recorded for final energy consumption in fiscal 2010. While energy consumption in the industrial sector has remained mostly level, there were sharp increases in energy consumption in the commercial and residential sector and in the transport sector. In the commercial and residential sector, energy consumption by the commercial sector in particular has risen in recent years. This has been mainly caused by (i) the rise in the total floor area of office buildings and large-scale retail stores; (ii) an increase in the amount of air conditioning equipment and lighting appliances used in those facilities; and (iii) the growth of office automation and extending opening hours.

 

 

 

 

 

Japan's energy consumption is thus expanding fairly consistently, yet the volume of primary energy required to generate the same level of GDP (primary energy supply per GDP) is lower in Japan compared to other industrialized countries. This indicates that Japan is one of the most energy-efficient countries in the world.

 

 

2. Electric Power

Approximately half of Japan's primary energy supply of petroleum, coal and other energy sources is converted into electric power.

Electricity output (including in-house power generation) in Japan totaled 1,157 billion kWh in fiscal 2010, up 4.0 percent from the previous fiscal year. Of this total, thermal power accounted for 66.7 percent; nuclear power, 24.9 percent; hydro power, 7.8 percent; and other sources, 0.6 percent. In the field of thermal power generation, huge replacement has been made from petroleum to natural gas.

 

 

3. Gas

Gas production was 1,288 petajoules in fiscal 2010, up 3.7 percent from the previous fiscal year. Of this total, natural gas plus liquefied natural gas (LNG) accounted for 96.4 percent; and the remaining 3.6 percent were petroleum gases, such as volatile oil, liquefied petroleum gas, etc. Gas purchases for fiscal 2010 totaled 259 petajoules.

Gas sales for fiscal 2010 totaled 1,477 petajoules, or year-on-year growth of 4.3 percent. Of this total, 50.0 percent was sold to industry, 27.7 percent to residential use, 13.4 percent to the commercial sector, and 8.9 percent to other sources of demand.