Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Takeshi Hashimoto) today announced that it will be contracted by West Japan Carbon dioxide Storage Survey Co., Ltd. (President: Kosuke Furutachi; Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), ENEOS Corporation (ENEOS; President: Atsuji Yamaguchi; Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), Electric Power Development Co., Ltd. (J-Power; President: Hitoshi Kanno; Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo), and JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration Corporation (JX; President: Toshiya Nakahara; Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) to study the use of ships to transport liquefied CO2 as part of a carbon capture and storage (CCS) development project off western Kyushu (see the chart below). The research is commissioned by the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC; Chairman & CEO: Ichiro Takahara) for fiscal year (FY) 2024 as the "Engineering Design Work for Advanced CCS Projects (Note 1)."
Company West Japan Carbon dioxide Storage Survey Co., Ltd., ENEOS, J-Power, JX
Emission sources ENEOS refineries and J-Power thermal power plants in Seto Inland and Kyushu regions
Mode of transport Vessels and pipelines
Potential storage site Off the western coast of Kyushu (marine saline aquifers)
Storage volume About 1.7 million tons/year
Japan has set a carbon neutrality goal by 2050, and its "GX Promotion Strategy" sets out a policy to develop a business environment for the start of CCS projects by 2030. As part of this initiative, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and JOGMEC are launching projects with the potential for large-scale operations as "Advanced CCS projects." They are providing integrated support for the entire value chain, from CO2 separation, capture, transport, to storage.
As Japan's first large-scale CCS project last fiscal year, ENEOS, J-Power and JX were commissioned by JOGMEC to conduct the "Study on Implementation of an Advanced CCS Project" for the offshore Kyushu West CCS project. MOL conducted an initial study of the voyage plan for a liquefied CO2 carrier, estimated marine transport costs, and identified risks and issues in low-temperature, low-pressure transportation(Note 2). The Kyushu West Offshore CCS project has been selected as an "Advanced CCS Projects" for FY2024, and MOL's commission to conduct this study will continue this year.
During FY2024, MOL will conduct the subsequent phases of the feasibility study, including the study of vessels to be used for CO2 transport and the identification of major risks and issues in liquefied CO2 transport, with the aim of starting the practical implementation of a domestic CCS value chain by FY2030.
