What is the surprising thing that gas companies bring up?

December 26, 16:56

The situation surrounding the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) is greatly shaken by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

It is said that the gas company, which is in the midst of this whirlwind, is now raising something unexpected.

What are you growing and why?

approached the company's strategy.

(Nagoya Broadcasting Station Reporter Yusuke Noguchi)

What is LNG “coldness” utilization?

Toho Gas is headquartered in Nagoya, Japan.

The company's "Chita Midorihama Factory" is located by the sea in Chita City, Aichi Prefecture.

The reason why it is by the sea is that LNG (liquefied natural gas), which is the raw material for city gas, is transported from overseas by ship and is unloaded here.

This LNG receiving terminal is actually used for fish farming.

Lively fish swim in a huge cylindrical aquarium with a diameter of 10 meters installed on the premises.

These fish are "rainbow trout", also known as "trout salmon".

Known for its orange-red flesh, this fish is commonly used in sushi toppings.

Why farm in such a place?

In response to my question, the person in charge said that this LNG receiving terminal is the best environment for salmon farming.

Here's the explanation.

When LNG is imported from overseas by ship, it is in a liquid state so that it can be transported efficiently by reducing its volume.

It's just liquefied natural gas.

The temperature is -162°C.

By heating the large tubes through which this LNG flows with seawater, it vaporizes and becomes a raw material for city gas.

On the other hand, the seawater used at this time is cooled by 2 to 4 degrees due to the coldness of the LNG.

Until now, the generated "cold seawater" was simply thrown into the sea, but an idea came up at an internal meeting that it could be used for trout salmon farming.

Trout salmon is a rainbow trout that is farmed in the sea, but because it prefers cold water temperatures, it is difficult to raise in the summer when the sea temperature is high.

Effective use of cold sea water also has the advantage of allowing salmon to be farmed throughout the year.

Therefore, they embarked on aquaculture with the cooperation of a major food manufacturer.

Is salmon a luxury fish?

When I (the reporter) first heard about this story, my impression was, "I don't think there's much demand for this story."

Of course, the effective use of energy is a meaningful story, but I thought that it would not be news other than that "a major gas company has embarked on a unique business."

However, the person in charge of Toho Gas had a different idea.

"I want to contribute to the sustainability of food. In the future, I have my sights set on developing it into one of our main businesses."

The reason why the person in charge says this is that the demand for "salmon and trout" including trout salmon is increasing worldwide.

According to the Fisheries Agency, the world's aquaculture production of salmon and trout has continued to grow rapidly in recent years, reaching more than 4.03 million tons in 2020, the highest level since 1960, which is listed in the White Paper on Fisheries.

Looking at the import volume by country, in addition to countries with large populations such as China where demand is strong, Europe and the United States are also on the rise.

Why is salmon gaining popularity?

According to Professor Masaaki Sano of Kagoshima University's Faculty of Fisheries, who is familiar with the distribution, supply and demand of marine products, behind the global popularity is the "Japanese food boom", especially the "popularity of raw food" represented by "sushi".

Professor Masaaki Sano

“In Europe and the United States, health consciousness is increasing, and healthy Japanese food is becoming more popular. Among them, sushi is the most popular. Even in emerging countries such as Southeast Asia, Japanese food is at the forefront of fashion due to rising incomes, and wealthy people like to eat sushi.”

“However, the number of fish that can be eaten raw is limited. On the other hand, a large amount of capital has been invested in salmon farming, and in Norway and Chile, which are the main production areas, processing and distribution networks have grown on the premise of eating raw. No other fish has such a strong supply chain for raw consumption.”

Salmon prices are rising, reflecting rising global demand.

In Norway and Chile, which are the main production areas, companies are conducting large-scale aquaculture operations and promoting the expansion of international sales channels, so most of the salmon we eat at conveyor belt sushi is from Norway or Chile.

The price of imported "salmon and trout" traded at the Tokyo Central Wholesale Market was 1 kg = 1579 yen last September, but 1 kg = 2178 yen this September.

It rose nearly 40% in one year.

According to Professor Sano, in addition to the rising demand, the rapid depreciation of the yen, soaring fuel prices for airplanes, etc., and the fact that the shortest route over Siberia has been restricted due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, making it necessary to take a detour. is the factor of

Salmon farming What are the challenges?

Salmon farming started by Toho Gas.

Are there any issues?

The first thing that came to my mind was the question of cost.

According to Toho Gas, seawater temperatures of 20 degrees or below are suitable for salmon farming.

Keeping the water cool and filtering the water would require a lot of electricity, which would add to the cost.

Will it be viable as a business in the midst of soaring electricity bills?

When I raised my concerns to the person in charge of Toho Gas, I got a clear answer.

Since the temperature of the seawater is naturally lowered by the coldness of the LNG, no additional power is required for cooling.

And no need for water filtration.

It is said that it is because it adopts the "flowing method".

The cold seawater that is generated one after another is taken into the tank and drained into the sea as it is.

The reason why this method is possible is that it is an advantage unique to LNG receiving terminals.

Gas Company Salmon Spread?

Salmon farmed by Toho Gas using LNG was first landed in June this year and shipped to supermarkets.

The brand name is “Chita Cool Salmon”.

It is said that it was named with the meaning of "cool" farmed fish using the coldness of LNG.

From November, we are working on the second aquaculture, and in the future, we plan to repeat demonstration experiments to expand the scale of aquaculture.

A trout salmon swims energetically in a gas factory that gives the impression of being rather inorganic.

As the global competition to acquire salmon intensifies, perhaps the day will come when it will become a common sight at city gas plants in Japan.

Nagoya Broadcasting Station reporter

Yusuke Noguchi Joined the station in

2011

After working in the economic department, Nagoya station economic cap from 2020