INPEX has announced that it has commenced the injection of CO₂ generated as a by-product of hydrogen production into a subsurface reservoir in the Hirai area of the Higashi-Kashiwazaki gas field, where gas production has already ceased. This is part of its Integrated Blue Hydrogen and Ammonia Production and Utilization Demonstration Project, being conducted in Kashiwazaki City, Japan.

The demonstration project is the first in Japan to integrate the entire hydrogen and ammonia value chain, from production through utilisation, involving hydrogen and ammonia as clean energy sources that do not emit CO₂ during use. The commencement of CO₂ injection will enable the project to reduce CO₂ emissions by capturing and storing CO₂ generated during hydrogen production.

The feedstock gas used in the project is domestically produced natural gas from the Minami-Nagaoka gas field operated by INPEX. Hydrogen produced is supplied as electricity using hydrogen-fired power generation facilities located at Kashiwazaki Hydrogen Park. In addition, a portion of the hydrogen is converted into ammonia and supplied to customers within the prefecture.

CO2 generated from the hydrogen production facility is separated and captured using HiPACT®, a high-pressure CO2 capture technology jointly developed by JGC Global Co and BASF.  A key feature of the technology is its ability to capture CO2 under high-pressure conditions. This is expected to reduce energy consumption and costs required for the entire CO2 capture and injection process compared with conventional technologies.

The technology is expected to play an important role in improving the economic viability of blue hydrogen and ammonia production as well as CCS projects, thereby contributing to their wider deployment and commercialisation. 

The hydrogen and ammonia production facilities and CO2 capture processes are being implemented under a subsidised project adopted by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation (NEDO) as part of its programme entitled ‘Development of Technologies for Fuel Ammonia Production and Utilisation / Technology Development for Blue Ammonia Production’.