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Japan plans to support the expansion and construction of alternative oil pipelines in the Middle East as it seeks to strengthen energy security following the Iran war, local media reported Wednesday.
Before the conflict began in February, Japan, the world’s fourth-largest economy, relied heavily on oil imports passing through the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping has since been severely disrupted.
The Nikkei reported that Japan will support projects by Saudi Arabia and other countries to expand existing pipelines and develop new crude oil routes that bypass the strait.
Japan has already drawn on its oil reserves to address supply disruptions and increased crude imports from other countries, including the U.S.
Broadcaster NHK reported that additional energy measures are expected to be decided at a government meeting later Wednesday.
These include establishing a special crude oil reserve to produce naphtha, an oil by-product used across a wide range of industries.
The government is also expected to call for “maximizing the use of nuclear power,” according to NHK, while supporting the development of next-generation perovskite solar cells.
Japan has already been moving to revive its nuclear power sector, 15 years after the Fukushima disaster, partly to meet an expected increase in electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence.
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