Japan's wood pellet and palm kernel shells (PKS) imports rose on the year in October, the finance ministry data show.
The country imported 692,000t of wood pellets in October, higher by 4pc on the month and by 37pc on the year, the data published on 28 November show. Vietnam remained the biggest supplier in October at 317,000t, followed by the US and Canada at 202,000t and 91,000t, respectively.
Japan's PKS imports in October increased by 19pc on the year to 482,000t, but were lower by 8pc on the month. The biggest supplier was Indonesia at 320,000t, followed by Malaysia at 148,000t.
Higher imports came against a backdrop of the start of several biomass-fired power plants in Japan. The country brought on line its 75MW Ichihara Yawatafuto plant in Chiba prefecture on 21 September, while the 50MW Hyuga plant in Miyazaki prefecture started commercial operations on 16 October.
But Ichihara Yawatafuto stopped operations from 22 October to 5 November because of a fire.
The country plans to restart its 75MW Tokushima Tsuda biomass-fired power plant, which has been halted since late September for facility renovations, after the completion of its maintenance in late December.
Separately, the 20MW Tosa has been shut for an indefinite period because of aging facilities.
| Japan's imports from key countries ('000t) | |||||
| Oct-24 | Sep-24 | Oct-23 | m-o-m ± % | y-o-y ± % | |
| Wood Pellet | |||||
| Canada | 91 | 105 | 144 | -14 | -37 |
| Thailand | 11 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
| Indonesia | 45 | 32 | 0 | 41 | - |
| Vietnam | 317 | 345 | 178 | -8 | 78 |
| Malaysia | 24 | 35 | 35 | -33 | -32 |
| US | 202 | 148 | 148 | 37 | 37 |
| Russia | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
| Total | 692 | 665 | 505 | 4 | 37 |
| PKS | |||||
| Indonesia | 320 | 420 | 337 | -24 | -5 |
| Malaysia | 148 | 88 | 64 | 69 | 133 |
| Sri Lanka | 3 | 4 | 3 | -20 | 21 |
| Thailand | 10 | 11 | 0 | -6 | - |
| Total | 482 | 523 | 403 | -8 | 19 |
| Source: Finance ministry | |||||
