INTERVIEW: Osaka Gas to Focus More on LNG Supply to Vessels

Osaka, Dec. 9 (Jiji Press)–Osaka Gas Co. plans to sell 70,000 tons of liquefied natural gas a year as ship fuel through offshore supply by 2030, President Masataka Fujiwara said in a recent interview. The Japanese company will enter the offshore LNG supply business in 2026. “It is a market where demand will grow,” Fujiwara said, expressing hopes that more vessels will shift to LNG as fuel. “Many ships pass through Osaka Bay and the Seto Inland Sea, which are within our operating area,” he said, describing the company’s competitive edge. Osaka Gas operates one LNG terminal each in Osaka and Hyogo prefectures, western Japan. A vessel for offshore LNG supply is scheduled to be completed in April next year. Fujiwara said that more vessels are expected to use LNG, instead of fuel oil and gas oil, as fuel as part of efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The number of LNG-fueled vessels worldwide, excluding LNG carriers, increased from 32 in 2012 to about 600 in 2024, according to Osaka Gas. Anticipating further growth, Fujiwara said that Osaka Gas will “focus more” on the offshore LNG supply business. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]