Japanese visit to New Zealand and Australia

  In July a group of Japanese delegates – including representatives from across the LPG supply chain, consultants, and energy media – visited New Zealand and Australia to meet with WLPGA members.

The Japanese LPG industry are founding members of the WLPGA (1987) and have made significant contributions to the association and industry since then.

The WLPGA have held several events in Japan since 1987 including the World Forum in 1993. The Japanese government are very supportive of LPG in the energy mix following the important role of LPG after the Tsunami of 2011. The purpose of the visit was ‘fact finding’ and follows the regional WLPGA event held in Tokyo earlier this year.

In New Zealand the Japanese delegates were hosted by Rinnai NZ and Liquigaz. The objectives of the visit were to get a better understanding of the New Zealand LPG market and the LPG decarbonisation and efficiency initiatives. In the gas appliance sector, there is a strong relationship between New Zealand and Japan due to Rinnai’s appliance leadership in both countries. Rinnai New Zealand Managing Director, Ray Ferner, talked with the delegation about the appliances distributed from Japan in the New Zealand market and the potential for blending LPG with renewable DME in the future. DME being a significant liquid gas in the Japanese market.

The Chief Executive of Liquigas, Albert de Geest, showed the group around the Wiri bulk storage depot. Originally used as an import terminal, LPG was brought in by ship and distributed by truck across New Zealand. Today Wiri is a storage depot. LPG comes from Taranaki by tanker and is used to supply Auckland, the upper North Island, the Ongas cylinder filling plant next door, and supports the North Island’s security of supply.

Japan is a significant LPG user, and while not a large producer in world terms, produces significantly more than New Zealand. In 2022, the production volume of LPG in Japan was over 3mMT. In New Zealand the total consumption was just 193kMT with some imported from Australia.

Following the New Zealand visit, the delegation visited Australia.

The guests were hosted by Elgas and met with the Elgas Leadership Team, headed by Gareth O’Brien, and representative General Managers from across Elgas.

Topics of discussion included the following: LPG business structures; How to realise carbon neutrality; Development of rDME/rLPG and the future for the products; Approach to Carbon offset business; Transition from diesel to LPG; Use of IT/Smartphones in on-line ordering/payment etc.; Consumer exchange models; Consumer safety.

Special thanks go to the New Zealand and Australian industry members who hosted the group for a very successful visit.