CCS ammonia project begins commissioning in Japan

Tsubame, INPEX, and JOGMEC prepare for operations

Click to learn more. Aerial view of the under-commission CCS hydrogen and ammonia project in Japan. Source: INPEX.

Commissioning work on the CCS-based demonstration project near Kashiwazaki City, Japan has begun. Project partner INPEX has begun introducing gas feedstock to the hydrogen production plant. The hydrogen produced will be used to generate electricity that will be supplied to local consumers in Niigata Prefecture, with a portion of the hydrogen to be used for ammonia production via Tsubame’s low temperature and low pressure ammonia synthesis technology. The ammonia will then be supplied to local consumers in Niigata Prefecture. CO₂ emitted during hydrogen production will be injected into previously depleted gas reservoirs in the onshore Higashi-Kashiwazaki Gas Field.

Click to expand. Project diagram, with facilities inside the red box currently undergoing trial operations. Source: INPEX.

After completion of the commissioning work, the project’s demonstration operations are scheduled to commence later in 2025, followed by the initiation of CO₂ injection into the onshore reservoir. Government agency JOGMEC (Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security) is responsible for the assessment and implementation of subsurface CO₂ storage, and will monitor to confirm that CO₂ injection results in enhanced gas recovery (EGR) at the Higashi-Kashiwazaki Gas Field.