Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar), Inpex Corp, Tokyo Gas Co., and Osaka Gas Co., have signed a collaboration agreement to conduct a joint feasibility study on e-methane production in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
On the basis of an agreement signed in July 2023, Masdar and Inpex have been conducting a joint study to produce e-methane utilising low-cost renewable energy.
Tokyo Gas and Osaka Gas have now joined this initiative, and through it plan to off-take e-methane in volumes equivalent to 1% of each company’s annual city gas demand. Tokyo Gas and Osaka Gas are aiming to introduce e-methane to cover this proportion of their respective annual city gas demand by 2030 and further increase the introduction volume from the total of their worldwide projects toward 2050.
The four partners will evaluate the economics of producing and procuring feedstocks, such as green hydrogen and CO2, as well as the production and transportation of e-methane. The overall reductions in CO2 emissions will also be evaluated.
‘e-methane’ is compatible with existing LNG infrastructure such as LNG tankers and terminals as well as city gas infrastructure including pipelines and consumer gas equipment, limiting social costs associated with its introduction, and is therefore considered a carbon-neutral or lower-carbon solution for thermal sectors where electrification is a challenge. Applications are also expected in the power generation and transportation sectors.
The four partners’ joint aim is for the early establishment of an e-methane supply chain from the UAE to Japan, to contribute to the UAE and Japanese governments’ shared goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
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