Japan
will need up to 390,000 barrels a day of additional oil this year if
the country keeps the 48 reactors currently offline idle for the rest of
the year, the International Energy Agency said Friday in its monthly
report.
The projection is 10,000 barrels a day higher than its previous estimate, the Paris-based energy watchdog said.
The
Japanese power sector continues to confront significant summer power
generation constraints, as only two nuclear reactors in western Japan
are operating.
Reactivation
of further idle capacity depends on a new nuclear watchdog being
appointed in September, which will be responsible for authorizing
nuclear plant start-ups.
Even if some more reactors are restarted, Japan will still need an additional 360,000 barrels a day, IEA said.
Japan's oil demand rose by 5.5% from a year earlier in June, after rising by an average of 10.7% in the previous five months.