To help achieve a net-zero carbon society by 2050, the Hydrogen & CCUS Development Division has been working on hydrogen/ammonia projects. Accordingly, a demonstration plant as part of the Kashiwazaki Blue Hydrogen (*) /Ammonia Project is being constructed at the INPEX-owned Higashi-Kashiwazaki Gas Field, Hirai area, Kashiwazaki City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan and will start its operation in 2024. Based on the outcome of this project, INPEX plans to construct a blue hydrogen production plant utilizing existing natural gas infrastructure in Niigata Prefecture. In addition, INPEX intends to commercialize certain projects by 2030 and aims to produce and supply at least 100,000 tons of hydrogen/ammonia per annum. In parallel to the projects within Japan, INPEX is also examining sites for the construction of a large-scale clean ammonia production plant in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Furthermore, proposals are being developed on INPEX's potential participation in large-scale business development in Australia and Indonesia involving clean hydrogen/ammonia supply chains (production, liquefaction, and transportation) based on various feasibility studies.

• *Blue hydrogen is hydrogen typically produced via the steam methane reforming of natural gas, combined with CO₂ recovery and storage. The hydrogen produced will be supplied to power generation plants utilizing hydrogen as fuel and hydrogen supply stations. It may also be supplied to ammonia production plants which utilize hydrogen as a raw material.

Thus, I-RHEX has been conducting research to support the development of transportation/storage technology that is an essential component of the hydrogen supply chain.

Methanation is a method of methane production (referred to as "synthetic methane") involving a reaction between carbon dioxide (CO₂) and hydrogen. Synthetic methane synthesized from hydrogen, which is derived from renewable energy, can contribute to carbon neutrality. More importantly, it is compatible with the existing gas infrastructure and facilities and can be deployed to sectors in which electrification is a challenge. In the 6th Strategic Energy Plan announced by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in October 2021 and the Green Growth Strategy Through Achieving Carbon Neutrality in 2050 announced by METI in June 2021 in collaboration with other ministries and agencies, methanation is considered as one of the next-generation technologies in the thermal energy industry to decarbonize gas. The target is to inject synthetic methane into Japan's existing pipeline infrastructure, whose amount will be equivalent to 1% of the country's entire natural gas supply by 2030. From 2017 to 2021, INPEX undertook basic technical development^*1 of CO₂ methanation at a synthetic methane production capacity of 8 Nm³/h at INPEX's Koshijihara Plant, Nagaoka Field Office, Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The business is scheduled to perform a demonstration test^*2, including the production of synthetic methane using the CO₂ extracted from its Nagaoka Field Office at a rate of 400 Nm³-CO₂/h. Thereafter, in 2025, the produced synthetic methane is scheduled to be introduced into INPEX's city gas pipeline network. Furthermore, the companies intend to scale up this capacity to 10,000 Nm³-CO₂/h, equivalent to 60,000 tons per annum, provisionally by 2030. Accordingly, I-RHEX has been conducting research to support the development of methanation technology.

1. *1"Development of next-generation thermal power generation technologies/Development of basic technologies for next-generation thermal power generation/Development of CO₂ utilization technology," a project commissioned by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)
2. *2"Development of technologies for carbon recycling and next-generation thermal power generation/Development of technologies for reduction of CO₂ emissions/Development of technologies for practical application of effective utilization/Development of technologies for utilization of CO₂ as gaseous fuel/Development of technologies for practical application of pipeline injection using large-scale CO₂-methanation system," a theme-oriented project for industrial technology development subsidized by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)