Inpex, Osaka Gas to build CO2-methanation test facility in Japan
SUMMARY
The construction will be carried out by Chiyoda Corporation under an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract.
By Shardul SharmaPOSTED IN:
Japanese energy company Inpex and gas utility Osaka Gas will jointly build a CO2-methanation test facility, which will capable of producing 400 m3/hour of methane, the companies announced on June 16.
The construction will be carried out by Chiyoda Corporation under an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract. The project is part of a joint technical development initiative that Inpex and Osaka Gas initiated in 2021 with the goal of practical application of a CO2-methanation system for carbon neutralising natural gas.
The initiative is based on a subsidised project commissioned to Inpex by the government affiliated New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation (NEDO).
The test facility will include methanation, raw material supply, utility equipment, and other components. It will be connected to the Koshijihara plant at Inpex's Nagaoka field office in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan.
The project involves a demonstration test, starting in fiscal year 2025, to produce synthetic methane (e-methane) using CO2 extracted from Nagaoka field office and introducing it into Inpex's natural gas trunk pipeline network.
Inpex has been conducting basic technical development of CO2 methanation since 2017 at its Nagaoka field office, achieving a synthetic methane production capacity of 8 m3/hour. Building on this experience, Inpex will oversee the joint technical development initiative and operate the test facility.
Osaka Gas will utilise its engineering capabilities and design know-how in catalytic technology to produce synthetic methane. They will oversee the design of the CO2 methanation facilities and optimise the process.
