Tokyo - Japanese utility Chubu Electric Power Co said on Friday it plans to buy 13 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the current financial year to next March, up from 10.45 million tonnes in the previous year. In the wake of the Fukushima nuclear crisis, triggered by the March earthquake and tsunami, Japan's then-prime minister prodded Chubu to shut its sole Hamaoka nuclear plant indefinitely due to concerns it might also be hit by a big earthquake, prompting Chubu to boost purchases of fossil fuels. The Hamaoka plant, which is in a quake-prone area, has a capacity of 3,617 MW and is expected to stay shut until December 2012. By that time Japan's No.3 utility aims to complete construction of an 18 metre (60 ft) seawall to better protect the plant from tsunamis.