INPEX, Chubu step up studies for Japan-Australia carbon capture/offshore storage

INPEX and Chubu Electric Power have signed an agreement to expand on their joint feasibility study for establishing a carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain.

This would involve separation and capture of CO₂ in Japan followed by transportation from the Port of Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture to Australia for storage, potentially offshore the Northern Territory.

The focus of the work will include optimizing CO₂ transportation methods such as loading in Japan, and shipping and receiving in Australia. In addition, the partnership will assess the legal and regulatory issues in Japan and Australia and how these might impact the timeline for implementing a framework for supporting the CCS value chain. The joint study scopes aim to continue to enhance the feasibility of the CO₂ value chain.

INPEX is a party to the Bonaparte CCS Project in the G-7-AP permit in the Bonaparte Basin 260 km offshore Darwin; TotalEnergies CCS Australia and Woodside Energy are the other partners. Preliminary front-end engineering design (FEED) work began in April, and the trio is aiming for first CO₂ injection offshore around 2030. 

Australia’s federal government conferred "Major Project Status" for the development, which could potentially store more than 10 MMmt/year of CO₂.