This is smart long-term thinking from JERA on LNG supplies;
JERA Co., Inc. (“JERA”), Japan’s largest power generation company and a global leader in providing cutting-edge solutions to the world’s energy issues, has joined U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Christopher Wright—who also serve as Chair and Vice Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council, respectively—and Shigeo Yamada, Ambassador of Japan to the United States of America, to announce that it has finalized 20-year Agreements (“the Agreements”) to procure up to 5.5 million tonnes per year of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States.
The Agreements, which were introduced publicly today at the U.S. Department of Energy headquarters in Washington, D.C., advance JERA’s long-term strategy to build a diversified and resilient LNG procurement portfolio in support of stable, secure energy for Japan and Asia. Through long-term offtake commitments, the Agreements are expected to support economic activity that could contribute approximately $200 billion to U.S. GDP and sustain 50,000 jobs annually, according to S&P Global analysis. The total value of these transactions also surpasses JERA’s cumulative equity investment in the United States, which currently stands at $6 billion.
The Agreements include Sales and Purchase Agreements with NextDecade Corporation and Commonwealth LNG, as well as Heads of Agreement with Sempra Infrastructure and Cheniere Marketing LLC, to secure future LNG supply from the United States. U.S. LNG procured through these partnerships uniquely supports JERA’s strategic priorities by offering competitive pricing, flexible contract terms, and strong market fundamentals. All volume will be delivered under FOB (Free on Board) terms with no destination restrictions, allowing JERA to optimize shipping routes and respond flexibly to evolving market conditions and LNG demand across the Asia-Pacific region. The new Agreements build upon and enhance JERA’s existing operations in the United States, which include offtake contracts totaling 3.5 million tonnes per year from Freeport LNG and Cameron LNG. JERA also entered into an approximately 1.0 MTPA LNG offtake agreement with Venture Global CP2 in 2023.
JERA Global CEO and Chair Mr. Yukio Kani stated, “As Japan’s largest power provider, JERA plays a central role in securing the country’s energy future. After more than 15 months of strategic evaluation and commercial engagement, we are pleased to finalize the Agreements with U.S. suppliers, which offer unique flexibility and reliability – essential elements in our diversification strategy. These agreements strengthen Japan’s energy security, reaffirm the U.S.’s leading role in the global LNG market, and support long-term sustainable economic development for both countries.”
Mr. Kani continued, “The Agreements represent a true win–win and reflect a strong commercial partnership between the two long-standing allies. We are grateful for the constructive and collaborative engagement of our industry partners and stakeholders in both Japan and the United States that made these agreements possible. We look forward to building on this momentum with partners and customers around the world.”
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Japan, commented, “Securing a stable and flexible LNG supply for thermal power generation is vital to Japan’s energy security. METI welcomes JERA’s long-term agreements with U.S. suppliers—key partners to Japan—as an important step toward this goal. Such contracts contribute to supply and price stability for consumers and play a crucial role in ensuring a reliable energy supply for our country.”
The Agreements deliver several, additional strategic goals for JERA and Japan:
• Mitigating price instability: Long-term LNG contracts play a key role in shielding Japan’s domestic consumers from the full impact of energy market volatility. The Agreements are expected to serve as a hedge against future fluctuations, ensuring stable, predictable supply and pricing into the 2040s and beyond.
• Responsive to demand fluctuations: The expanded use of renewable energy across the globe has led to seasonal and short-term energy demand fluctuations. The Agreements facilitate JERA’s ability to deliver stable, affordable energy to Japan in these uncertain environments while enhancing flexibility and responsiveness across its global trading operations.
• Harness JERA Global Market’s trading and optimization expertise: The Agreements broaden JERA group’s LNG portfolio and allow JERA Global Markets—the exclusive LNG optimizer and market access provider to JERA— to use its proven capability to better match supply-demand fluctuations, enhance cost competitiveness, and strengthen LNG supply stability across Asia in support of broader energy transition efforts.
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