# East Asia Brief — Energy & Critical Minerals

Power supply for industry, refining capacity, rare earths and the chokepoints in between.

- [KOGAS shifts LNG storage protocols to smooth winter inventory builds](https://eastasiabrief.com/energy-minerals/kogas-shifts-lng-storage-protocols-smooth-winter-inventory-builds-63) — South Korea's state gas utility adopts dynamic working capacity limits across five import terminals to cut spot exposure before peak winter demand. *(August 28, 2026; Energy & Minerals · Korea · Korea Gas Corporation, POSCO International, GS Energy)*
- [Japan nuclear restarts widen regional power cost gap for manufacturers](https://eastasiabrief.com/energy-minerals/japan-nuclear-restarts-widen-regional-power-cost-gap-manufacturers-56) — Faster reactor inspections in Kansai and Kanto compress utility fuel costs while reshaping industrial electricity tariffs across Japan. *(August 28, 2026; Energy & Minerals · Japan · Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Kansai Electric Power Company)*
- [China Consolidates State Antimony and Gallium Refining to Lock Down Metal Value Chain](https://eastasiabrief.com/energy-minerals/china-consolidates-state-antimony-gallium-refining-lock-down-metal-49) — Provincial smelting hubs face centralized operational quotas to guarantee domestic high-purity processing before export clearance. *(August 28, 2026; Energy & Minerals · China · China Minmetals Corporation, Aluminum Corporation of China, Hunan Gold Group)*
- [Posco Holdings starts direct lithium extraction test runs for Korean cathode lines](https://eastasiabrief.com/energy-minerals/posco-holdings-starts-direct-lithium-extraction-test-runs-korean-40) — The continuous brine-to-hydroxide loop links Argentine extraction to Gwangyang refineries to supply non-FEOC battery materials to Western automakers. *(August 28, 2026; Energy & Minerals · Korea · Posco Holdings, Posco Future M)*
- [Korea speeds HVDC power corridor to supply Yongin semiconductor cluster](https://eastasiabrief.com/energy-minerals/korea-speeds-hvdc-power-corridor-supply-yongin-semiconductor-cluster-33) — State utility KEPCO fast-tracks 500-kilovolt transmission lines to deliver coastal nuclear and renewable electricity to advanced memory and foundry fabs in… *(August 28, 2026; Energy & Minerals · Korea · Korea Electric Power Corporation, Samsung Electronics, SK hynix)*
- [JERA secures long-term North American LNG offtake to hedge spot volatility](https://eastasiabrief.com/energy-minerals/jera-secures-long-term-north-american-lng-offtake-hedge-26) — The Japanese utility giant signed binding multi-year contracts featuring destination flexibility to stabilize fuel procurement against seasonal demand spikes… *(August 28, 2026; Energy & Minerals · Japan · JERA, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Chubu Electric Power)*
- [China mandates digital tracking codes for heavy rare earth shipments to tighten export control](https://eastasiabrief.com/energy-minerals/china-mandates-digital-tracking-codes-heavy-rare-earth-shipments-20) — The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology requires refiners to register dysprosium and terbium batches on a state platform before customs clearance. *(August 28, 2026; Energy & Minerals · China · China Rare Earth Group, China Northern Rare Earth Group High-Tech, JL MAG Rare-Earth, Ningbo Yunsheng)*

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Publisher: East Asia Brief — https://eastasiabrief.com/