Rising nuclear output weighs on Japanese imports

摘要

Japanese thermal coal imports fell on the year in July butrecorded an uncharacteristically large month-on-monthincrease, as a severe heatwave supported thermal powergeneration and helped to partly offset the impact of risingnuclear output.A total of 9.9mn t of coal was imported in July,provisional ministry of finance data show, compared with10.6mn t in the same month last year and 8.3mn t in June2018. Greater nuclear availability this summer is weighing onthermal output, but the 1.6mn t month-on-month increasein receipts between June and July was significantly greaterthan the 750,000t four-year average, as soaring temperaturesgave a sharp boost to short-term power demand.