Japanese LPG importer Astomos and city gas distributor Toho Gas will collaborate on LPG distribution in the country's central Chukyo area to streamline distribution and facility operations.
Astomos and Toho Gas' LPG sales arm, Toho Liquefied Gas, signed the agreement on 19 May. The two companies will discuss how to collaborate to strengthen tanker transport from import terminals to customers, as well as the filling of tanks and delivery functions. But specific timelines have not been decided and will be discussed, Astomos said.
Toho Liquefied Gas supplies LPG to customers in the Aichi, Gifu, Mie, Shizuoka and Ishikawa prefectures. It owns storage tanks in Nagoya, with its combined propane tank capacity at 2,816t and butane tank capacity at 2,404t. The firms will also discuss how to streamline the use of these tanks, Astomos added.
Toho Gas sold 474,000t of LPG in the 2024-25 fiscal year ending on 31 March, up by 1.9pc on the year, according to the firm's latest financial results. Most of this was sold by Toho Liquefied Gas.
Astomos has separately partnered with fellow importer Gyxis to distribute LPG in the central Chukyo area this year, after closing one of two storage facilities in Aichi prefecture owned by Idemitsu, a shareholder in both firms. The firms will jointly use the Idemitsu Aichi LPG storage facility with a capacity of 105,000t for propane and 76,000t for butane. Astomos has also collaborated with Japan Gas Energy for LPG sales in the central Toyama prefecture since April 2024.
There has been greater consolidation of business among Japanese LPG distributors because of declining domestic LPG demand resulting from a falling population, global decarbonisation initiatives including improved energy efficiency, as well as ageing LPG storages which incur maintenance costs.
