MHI and Osaka Gas to explore CO2 transport potential for CCS value chain

Japanese companies Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Osaka Gas have entered into an agreement to conduct a feasibility study on a project to develop a CO₂ value chain for carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS).

As informed, the agreement includes transporting CO₂ captured in Japan to overseas, utilizing it to produce e-methane, synthetic gas produced through methanation, and storing it underground.

According to the partners, the project aims to establish an efficient CO₂ value chain, using Osaka Gas’s knowledge on e-methane production and CO₂ storage and MHI’s expertise in CO₂ capture, liquefied CO₂ maritime vessel transport, and CO₂ management.

To that end, the project partners will examine methods to capture CO₂ emitted from the hard-to-abate industries, such as steel, cement, and chemicals, and transport liquefied CO₂ using ships.

Specifically, Osaka Gas and MHI will conduct a feasibility study on the entire CCUS scheme, including CO₂ utilization for e-methane and underground sequestration, in corporation with companies from a wide variety of industries.

Furthermore, the project plans to expand its CCUS scheme through the trade and transfer of CCUS’s environmental value quantified by CO₂NNEX, a digital platform under development by MHI and IBM Japan for visualizing CO₂ value chain.

In February this year, the firms announced they built a demonstration system for CO2NNEX for e-methane.

IoT will connect actual CO₂ data, and blockchain technology will provide neutrality, and fairness along with advanced information security.

Through this project, Osaka Gas and MHI aim to contribute to achieving a carbon neutral society by 2050, combining the two companies’ technologies developed to meet their respective goals for net zero emissions.