South Korean LNG importing giant Kogas reported a 7.9 percent rise in its August gas sales, boosted by higher demand in the power generation sector.
Kogas said in a filing to the stock exchange it sold 2.28 million mt last month. This compares to 2.11 million mt Kogas had sold in August last year.
However, August sales dropped 11.4 percent when compared to the previous month’s 2.57 million mt, the state-owned firm, which has a monopoly in domestic gas sales, said.
Moreover, purchases by power firms rose 9.9 percent year-on-year to 1.38 million mt in August. These purchases also declined by 14.6 percent when compared to the previous month.
Kogas said its sales to retail gas companies for households and businesses increased 4.9 percent year-on-year to 899,000 mt, while they decreased 5.8 percent compared to the month before.
The firm currently operates four large-scale LNG terminals, namely Incheon, Pyeong-Taek, Tong-Yeong, and Samcheok, as well as a small-scale regasification terminal at the Aewol port on Jeju island.
The LNG importer plans to build a large terminal in Dangjin as well. South Korea’s Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction recently revealed it had won a contract from Kogas to build storage tanks at the Dangjin facility.
Under the contract, a consortium led by Doosan will build four LNG storage tanks with a capacity of 270,000 kiloliters, each.