Sempra joins forces with Japanese consortium to develop e

Sempra Infrastructure has teamed-up with a group of Japanese companies to assess the development of an international supply chain for e-natural gas, a synthetic gas produced from renewable hydrogen and carbon dioxide (CO2).

The Sempra subsidiary has teamed up with Tokyo Gas Company, Osaka Gas Company, Toho Gas Company, and Mitsubishi Corporation to evaluate the possibility of developing the project in the US Gulf Coast.

If approved, the project could produce 13,000 tonnes of e-natural gas per year that would be liquefied to become liquefied e-natural gas at Mitsubishi Corporation’s tolling capacity at the Cameron LNG terminal in Southwest Louisiana.

The proposed project could also include the production or procurement of green hydrogen, as well as the construction of facilities to produce e-natural gas.

Once produced, the product will then be exported to Japan.

Justin Bird, CEO of Sempra Infrastructure, said the project would allow existing natural gas infrastructure, including the global liquefied natural gas supply chain and the gas distribution systems in nations globally, to be used as the backbone for the delivery of a long-term, carbon-neutral fuel.

The other project partners recognised the US Gulf Coast as an ideal location for the facility.

“Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas, Toho Gas and Mitsubishi Corporation intend to realise the world’s first large-scale production and international supply chain of e-natural gas and have been progressing feasibility work,” they said in a joint statement.

Successful development of the proposed project is contingent upon completing the required commercial agreements, securing and/or maintaining all necessary permits, obtaining financing, and reaching a final investment decision, among other factors and considerations.

The US Department of Energy and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry are currently implementing a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) in the field of carbon capture, utilisation and storage, conversion and recycling, and carbon dioxide removal.

If approved, the proposed project would meet many of the objectives in the memorandum, and could complement it, should the policy frameworks recognize e-natural gas as a carbon-neutral fuel.

CO2 Summit 2023

Shortages and sourcing challenges are the headline stories everyone’s talking about in CO2 supply. But the whole carbon dioxide value chain is transforming – as this story itself demonstrates.

Applications are not only emerging and evolving but demanding more of the industry and its sourcing too. That calls for new thinking in CO2 storage and distribution, but it also raises questions over the tracking and management of supply chains. How we see CO2 is changing, shifting from waste disposal to a value chain in its own right. This will see the tonnage utilisation of CO2 evolve beyond recognition.

Join gasworld this September as our North American CO2 Summit 2023 assesses the threats, challenges and opportunities ahead in carbon dioxide – how we find it, source it, purify it and deliver it. Learn about the changing face of CO2; the opportunities in direct air capture (DAC); supply chain strategies; carbon credits and legislation; and so much more.

Tickets are selling fast and sold-out early last year, so book your place now. For more information and how to attend, visit https://gasworldconferences.com/conference/north-american-co2-summit-2023-indianapolis/