东京 —— 石油炼制商出光兴产将最早在2030年代初开始在日本销售从中东以外地区进口的液化天然气（LNG）。
TOKYO -- Petroleum refiner Idemitsu Kosan will begin Japanese sales of liquefied natural gas imported from regions other than the Middle East, as soon as the early 2030s.
“中东将继续是石油的支柱。因此，为了实现来源多元化，我们的基本立场是从中东以外地区采购LNG，”出光兴产首席运营官平野敦彦表示。
"The Middle East will remain the pillar of petroleum.
目前，日本的LNG进口主要由发电商JERA、东京燃气等能源公司以及三菱商事等商社负责。作为炼油商的出光兴产进军LNG进口领域，将使日本的供应链更加稳健。
So for the purpose of source diversification, our basic stance is to procure LNG from places outside of the Middle East," said Atsuhiko Hirano, Idemitsu's chief operating officer. Currently, Japan's LNG imports are handled primarily by such energy companies as power producer JERA and Tokyo Gas, as well as trading houses such as Mitsubishi Corp. Oil refiner Idemitsu's LNG imports will make the country's supply chain more robust.
迄今为止，出光兴产在日本销售石油、煤炭等燃料。该公司在东南亚等地开发天然气资源，但仅向当地市场供应。
Until now, Idemitsu has marketed fuels like petroleum and coal in Japan. It has developed natural gas resources in Southeast Asia and elsewhere, but has supplied it only to the local markets.
3月，出光兴产宣布向拥有LNG资产组合的英国公司MidOcean Energy投资5亿美元。出光兴产将从MidOcean Energy在加拿大、澳大利亚、南美等地的权益中采购LNG，并在包括日本在内的全球范围内销售。中东危机没有缓和迹象。
In March, Idemitsu announced a $500 million investment in MidOcean Energy, a U.K. company with an LNG portfolio. The Japanese company will procure LNG from MidOcean's interests in Canada, Australia, South America and elsewhere, and sell it globally, including Japan. The Mideast crisis shows no signs of abating.
根据日本1月贸易数据，卡塔尔LNG进口价格为每公吨9.2万日元（约合580美元），加拿大LNG为9.5万日元，澳大利亚LNG为8.9万日元。
According to Japan's trade data for January, LNG from Qatar fetched an import price of 92,000 yen ($580) per metric ton and Canadian LNG was sold for 95,000 yen, while Australian LNG's price came to 89,000 yen.
作为发电燃料使用时，LNG产生的二氧化碳排放量比煤炭等其他化石燃料更低。随着人工智能的兴起推高电力需求，全球对LNG的需求正在增长。
When used as a fuel for power generation, LNG produces lower carbon dioxide emissions than coal and other fossil fuels. Demand is growing around the world as the rise of artificial intelligence drives electricity demand higher.
日本能源经济研究所预测，日本LNG需求将在2023至2040财年间增长10%，达到7400万吨左右。
Japan's LNG demand will grow 10% between fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2040 to reach up to 74 million tons, predicts the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan.
出光公司（Idemitsu）预计将在日本向那些正在逐步减少煤炭使用的制造商销售液化天然气（LNG），并主要满足现有客户的需求。该公司尚未设定具体的销售量目标或其他指标。“首先，我们需要确定市场需求的具体所在，”平野（Hirano）表示。
Idemitsu expects to sell LNG in Japan to manufacturers that are shifting away from coal, and plans to primarily meet the needs of existing clients. It has not set a volume target or other metrics. "First, we're going to identify where demand is," Hirano said.
其他日本石油公司也在加大LNG业务的投入。Eneos Holdings旗下的子公司Eneos Xplora董事长大岛康彦（Yasuhiko Oshida）认为，在向可再生能源过渡的过程中，LNG是一种“切实可行的过渡燃料”。
Other Japanese petroleum companies are stepping up LNG operations as well. LNG is "a realistic bridge fuel" during the transition to renewable energy, said Yasuhiko Oshida, chairman of Eneos Xplora, a subsidiary of Eneos Holdings.
Eneos Xplora正在巴布亚新几内亚推进一项LNG项目，并计划在年底前做出最终的投资决策。大岛表示，这可能会促成LNG在日本市场的供应。Eneos Xplora是两家在巴布亚新几内亚拥有LNG业务权益的日本公司之一，另一家是贸易公司丸红（Marubeni）。
Eneos Xplora is pursuing an LNG project in Papua New Guinea and plans to make a final investment decision by year-end. This may lead to "supply in Japan," Oshida said. Eneos Xplora is one of the two Japanese companies with LNG interests in the Oceania country, with the other being trading house Marubeni.
总部位于东京的Cosmo Energy Holdings也计划在6月份公布的长期业务计划中考虑建设一座以LNG为燃料的发电厂。
Tokyo-based Cosmo Energy Holdings will consider building an LNG-fired power plant under a medium-term business plan unveiled in June.