GDF to Deliver US LNG to Japan's Tohoku

GDF Suez and the Japanese utility company Tohoku on Friday signed an agreement under which the French firm will supply 270,000 tonnes per year (tpa) of LNG to Tohoku Electric Power.

The long term contract will start in 2018 and last for a 20-year period, GDF Suez said.

The LNG will be supplied from the Cameron LNG plant in the US. GDF Suez will be one of the first companies to supply Asia with American LNG, thanks to its LNG carrier’s fleet and a diversified LNG portfolio, the French firm said.

The Cameron LNG export project has received conditional approvals from the US Department of Energy (DOE) and partial agreement from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and is likely to be finally sanctioned within the course of this year.

Jean-Marie Dauger, Executive Vice-President of GDF SUEZ in charge of the Global Gas & LNG business line commented: “This sales agreement seals our first long term LNG sale with a Japanese partner, as well as the emergence of US LNG contributing to Japan energy supply, thanks to the benefit of the shale gas revolution in America.”

GDF is a partner in Cameron LNG export project.