OREANDA-NEWS. Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. compiled Challenge 2020 Vision ("Vision") in November 2011 to indicate the path for the Tokyo Gas Group toward 2020 as a top runner in the field of natural gas, in order to boost the value we provide to customers and society and contribute to national economic development and the improvement of the national standard of living.

The Vision aims at enhancing the LNG value chain from LNG procurement and transportation through to the production and supply of city gas and the provision of energy solutions which resolve diverse customer energy issues. The Group has been steadily implementing efforts tow ard achieving the Vision, and this release summarizes the main efforts since April 26, 2013 when the progress status was last announced.

In raw materials procurement and overseas business, Tokyo Gas has been working to reduce raw materials prices by diversifying suppliers and contract contents, and to expand overseas business.

Specifically, in September 2013 the U.S. Cove Point LNG Project, from which LNG purchases (1.4 million tons per year) have already been set, received approval from the U.S, Department of Energy to export LNG to countries with which the U.S. has not signed Free Trade Agreements. With the acquisition of this export approval, LNG imports from this project, which are being advanced with a target around 2017, took a major step forward.

In efforts to upgrade and expand the production and supply infrastructure, the construction of the Ohgishima Terminal No. 4 LNG Tank, which has the world's largest storage capacity of 250,000 kl, was completed in October 2013, and the tank will be put into operation soon. Additionally, construction works on the Hitachi LNG Terminal and the Ibaraki - Tochigi Line, which were already underway, proceeded steadily, while construction also began in August 2013 on the Hitachi Line, which will provide pipe supply from the Hitachi LNG Terminal to the existing Hitachi Branch area.

In energy solutions, Tokyo Gas developed and initiated sales in October 2013 of the world's first ENE-FARM residential fuel cells for condominiums and of packaged miniature co-generation systems that greatly reduce total costs through improved equipment efficiency gains and optimal combinations.

In the electric power business, construction began on the Ohgishima Power Station No. 3 (400,000kW) in June 2013 toward starting operations in FY2015. Efforts to promote the advanced utilization of natural gas and fuel conversion are steadily moving forward with the development of approximately 800 million m3 in demand by the end of FY2013 along with the initiation of supply through the Chiba-Kashima Line in March 2012 Tokyo Gas will continue striving to enhance the LNG value chain toward achieving Challenge Vision 2020/