Several Japanese companies, including Mitsui & Co , Mitsui Chemicals , IHI Corp , and Kansai Electric Power Co , have announced a collaborative effort to explore the establishment of a hydrogen and ammonia supply chain within the Osaka coastal industrial zone, as reported by Reuters on August 30. This initiative was revealed shortly after Eneos and Osaka Gas unveiled plans to study the construction of a large e-methane facility, utilizing green hydrogen, in the Osaka Bay area.

In a separate development, Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas, Toho Gas , Mitsubishi Corp , and Sempra Infrastructure Partners LP have disclosed their intentions to jointly investigate e-methane imports from the United States to Japan. This project envisions the creation of a facility capable of producing 130,000 metric tons of e-methane annually in the U.S., which would then be liquefied at the Cameron liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and exported to Japan starting in 2030. This capacity represents around 1% of the gas demand of Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas, and Toho Gas combined. Financial details of these projects have not been provided.

Sources:

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/japans-mitsui-others-jointly-study-hydrogen-ammonia-supply-chain-osaka-2023-08-30/