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Japan's Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) recorded a rise in fuel oil consumption in December 2010, but consumed 21 percent less fuel oil during the course of the year compared to 2009, according to recent figures released by Asia's largest utility.

Tepco recorded a 0.79 million kilolitre drop in fuel oil consumption at its thermal power plants last year, using 2,989,000 kilolitres in 2010 compared to 3,780,000 kilolitres the previous year.

During the six-month period through September Tepco's utilization rate for its 17 nuclear reactors increased to 56.2 percent from 46.4 percent a year earlier.

In December 2010 Tepco reported a rise in heavy fuel oil and liquied natural gas (LNG) consumption compared with the same month a year earlier.

Fuel oil usage last month rose by 87,000 kilolitres, or 65.4 percent, to 220,000 kilolitres, up from 133,000 kilolitres in December 2009.

The following table shows Tepco's consumption of heavy fuel oil, crude oil and LNG in December 2010 compared with December 2009. For fuel oil and crude, the volume is in kilolitres while LNG is in metric tonnes.

Product	Dec 2010	Dec 2009
Heavy Fuel Oil	220,000	133,000
Crude Oil	43,000	62,000
LNG	1,720,000	1,543,000

Please find below a table indicating Tepco's consumption and intakes of fuel oil, crude and LNG for 2010. For fuel oil and crude, the volume is in kilolitres while LNG is in metric tonnes.

Consumption
Fuel oil	2,989,000	-20.8%
Crude oil	1,460,000	-10.8%
LNG	19,259,000	5.5%

Intakes
Fuel oil	2,952,000	-21.4%
Crude oil	1,414,000	-14.7%
LNG	20,413,000	6.0%