LNG

Japanese LNG industry participants, export plant operator Inpex Corp. and engineering company JGC Holdings are teaming up with the Thai national energy provider, which has increasing natural gas and LNG stakes, to develop a carbon-capture and storage (CCS) project in Thailand.

Thailand’s Public Company Exploration and Production (PTTEP) has stakes in Malaysian floating LNG as well as in Mozambique LNG and is taking over the operatorship of the main natural gas field in neighbouring Myanmar.

While all three companies are heavily involved in the energy transition on fuels in their promotion of LNG and pipeline gas, with Inpex operating the Ichthys LNG plant near Darwin in Australia and JGC being a builder of LNG plants and terminals, they are now exploring Southeast Asian CCS prospects.

They said the potential development of the CCS project in Thailand would help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and accelerate the decarbonization of Thai industries and the country as a whole.

Studies and solutions

Inpex, JGC and PTTEP have now signed an accord on the Thailand Carbon-Capture and Storage Initiative, which aims to study the potential development of CCS solutions to help industries including the oil and gas sector, hard-to-abate industries and power generation reduce their carbon-dioxide emissions.

CCS involves capturing CO2 from industrial processes before it enters the atmosphere and transporting the CO2 for underground storage in geological formations where they will be appropriately managed and monitored.

“The collaboration will involve identifying and evaluating facilities as well as procedures and technologies concerning CCS to build economically viable CCS solutions for Thailand,” said a statement.

PTTEP said the initiative reflected its determination to take part in regional efforts to manage and mitigate GHG impacts.

“We have the potential to help industries and Thailand reduce carbon emissions and achieve carbon neutrality goals,” the Thai company added.

Reforms

Inpex said it was proactively engaging in energy structure reforms towards the realization of a net-zero carbon society by 2050 while responding to the energy demands of Japan and other countries.

“The company aims to create clean energy business opportunities centred on CCS in Thailand with a view to expanding these opportunities to other parts of Asia,” said Inpex, whose headquarters are in Minato City in Tokyo.

JGC, based in Yokohama, noted that among the three it had “a rich track record” of building CCS facilities not only in Japan, but also in Algeria and Australia.

“The company also provides technical consulting services with energy and environmental themes, combining various methods such as surveys, analysis and evaluation, simulation, and risk assessment, and contributing to the realization of CCS through the provision of a wide range of solutions,” it explained.

This Japanese corporate collaboration on the Thailand CCS initiative is linked to the Asia Energy Transition Initiative (AETI), a plan unveiled by the Government of Japan in 2021 that aims to help achieve sustainable economic growth and carbon neutrality in Asia through energy transitions.