Facing blackout, Japan's Tepco asks other sectors for electricity

Relentless cold spell causes LNG demand surge while COVID delays hit supply

JERA Plant 20210106

A gas-fired power plant in Futtsu City, Chiba Prefecture: LNG is in short supply across Japan.

SHUHEI OCHIAI and MITSUTOSHI MASUNO, Nikkei staff writers

TOKYO -- Tepco Power Grid, the transmission unit of Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings, has asked commodities companies with private power generation equipment to help it provide electricity, as Japan faces a power outage, Nikkei learned Wednesday.

A series of cold spells has caused a surge in demand for liquefied natural gas, or LNG, a fuel used to generate heat. As Japan faces a shortage of LNG, Tepco Power Grid is hoping to buy electricity from other industries, an unusual move that hints at a severe outlook, so that it can continue to supply its customers.

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