The Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (Jogmec) is conducting a feasibility study on the Japanese Advanced carbon capture and storage (CCS Project), a public offered project in FY2023.

It has selected a consortium which includes seven companies Itochu Corporation, Nippon Steel Corporation, Taiheiyo Cement Corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Itochu Oil Exploration Co., Inpex Corporation, and Taisei Corporation.

The consortium will conduct the joint study under the Tohoku Region West Coast CCS initiative for large-scale and wide-area CCS value chain project using ship transportation, a press statement by Itochu Corporation said.

The seven companies will identify technical issues in the entire CCS value chain as well as commercial and social acceptability issues, based on the overall concept of using ships to transport CO2 separated and captured at specific plants of Nippon Steel and Taiheiyo Cement, to sites appropriate for CO2 storage to launch a concrete CCS value chain project by FY2030.

It must be noted that Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has set a goal of launching a public offering of CCS value chain operators, including carbon dioxide emitting companies, and a number of advanced CCS projects by 2030. The initiative is aimed at social implementation of CCS, which is positioned as a means for decarbonization to achieve two targets of the Japanese government: carbon neutrality in 2050 and a 46 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (from FY2013 level) in FY2030.