Japan Asks Indonesia to Increase Its LNG Supplies

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Japan has asked Indonesia to increase its liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies to help the country deal with its power crisis in the aftermath of devastating disaster. Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Makiko Kikuta said here Thursday that the 9-magnitude earthquake and the subsequent deadly tsunami had damaged his country’s nuclear power plant.

As a result, power supplies had drastically dropped. In response to the scarcity, the Japanese government had made the use of electricity as efficient as possible, he said. In connection with the Japanese request, Makiko Kikuta met with Coordinating Minister for Economy Hatta Rajasa at Borobudur Hotel here.

Makiko said Japan’s demand for electricity was practically equal to power supplies for entire Java Island. Therefore, he appealed for the Indonesian government’s increased LNG and crude oil supplies for his country in dealing with the difficult situation.

In response to the Japanese government’s request, Hatta Rajasa said he had yet to make a final decision because it had to be discussed with the energy and mineral resources minister.

"First of all, we will talk about the request with the energy and mineral resources minister, and I will soon make a report to the President. We will make a serious response", he said.

However, Hatta Rajasa said he wished to know how much electricity Japan needs but it may be equal to that of entire Java Island.

"We have yet to get the extent, but as a result of the paralyzed operation of Japan’s damaged nuclear power plant, it amount to tens of thousands of megawatts, which is quite huge," he said.

The devastating earthquake which had triggered a deadly tsunami on March 11 had reportedly killed at least 5,000 people and caused almost 10,000 others to go missing. CNN quoted a Tokyo resident as saying on Thursday that food shortages were spreading in Tokyo and Japanese forces kept trying to control a nuclear plant crisis by dropping water from helicopters.