Japanese firms team up with Sempra for e-methane project in US

Four Japanese companies, namely Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas, Toho Gas and Mitsubishi Corporation, have teamed up with Sempra Infrastructure Partners to produce synthetic methane, known as e-methane, in the US and subsequently export it to Japan, the companies announced on August 30.

The consortium aims to produce 130,000 tonnes/year of e-methane on the US Gulf Coast, liquefy and export it to Japan. This is equivalent to 1% of the combined annual city gas demand of Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas, and Toho Gas.

This announcement closely follows the initiation of another collaborative effort in Japan's energy landscape. Japanese gas retailer Osaka Gas and refiner Eneos have begun a joint study to explore the feasibility of large-scale production of e-methane in Japan using green hydrogen.