Oman LNG seeks to produce synthetic methane to reduce carbon emissions
Image Source: Oman Sustainability Week
Oman LNG is intensifying its efforts towards finding the best mechanisms and ways to reduce carbon emissions. By concluding strategic partnerships with various international companies in the fields of innovation, sustainability, searching for alternative sources of energy, and reducing their carbon footprint.
The company seeks to exploit opportunities for synthetic methane production to reduce carbon emissions from its operations by developing cooperation with energy companies in various countries of the world.
In this context, the memorandum of understanding signed by the Oman LNG Company with the Japanese companies “Hitachi Zosen” and “Hitachi Innova” comes to provide the necessary consultations regarding the establishment of a project to reduce carbon emissions and produce artificial methane.
Synthetic methane is the process of producing natural gas industrially through a chemical reaction in which carbon dioxide (carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide) is combined with hydrogen to produce methane gas, which is the basic component of natural gas, in addition to its contribution to combating climate change and the challenges of energy storage.
Methane from methane processes can be used as a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels, supporting efforts to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change.
The process of producing synthetic methane will contribute to capturing carbon dioxide emissions from the operations of the Oman LNG Company, reusing them and converting them into clean methane that can be used as fuel or liquefied as liquefied natural gas.
This reduces the company’s greenhouse gas emissions, in line with the national efforts of the Sultanate of Oman to reach zero carbon neutrality by 2050. Engineer Hamad bin Abdullah Al Maamari, Director General of Carbon and New Energies Department at Oman LNG, confirmed that as Oman moves towards renewable energy, the process of producing synthetic methane provides an opportunity to store surplus renewable energy by converting it into methane gas, which can be stored and transported more easily than electricity, and using the methane produced through this technology to enhance existing natural gas infrastructure, providing greater flexibility in energy systems and helping to integrate renewable energy sources.
A memorandum of cooperation signed recently by Oman LNG with Hitachi Zosen and Hitachi Innova confirms the pivotal role played by Oman in providing energy to Japan, with the aim of evaluating the technical, economic and environmental feasibility of producing synthetic gas from CO2 emissions. Carbon oxide and hydrogen.
He pointed out that Oman LNG, in cooperation with Hitachi Zosen and Hitachi Innova, will develop an experimental synthetic methane project with the aim of evaluating the technical, economic and environmental feasibility of producing synthetic gas from carbon dioxide and hydrogen emissions, which can be returned to the company’s operations whether to produce liquefied natural gas or consume it as fuel.
He added that this initiative represents an opportunity to strengthen joint efforts between Oman and Japan, to benefit from the expertise and resources of Oman LNG to enhance sustainable energy solutions, explaining that the pilot project will include large-scale research and development activities, including experimental testing, data analysis, and technology improvement.
Eng Hamad Al-Maamari said: “The project to reduce carbon emissions and produce artificial methane is one of the strategic projects and represents an opportunity to discover a new technology that helps in the green transformation and recycling carbon dioxide emissions from factories, thus converting them into clean energy with lower carbon emissions.”
He explained that the successful implementation of this pilot project will bring many benefits, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing energy efficiency, and opportunities to diversify revenues and sources of income for the Sultanate of Oman.
For his part, Roni Araiji, ME General Manager at Hitachi Zosen and Innova, confirmed that the agreement that the company signed with Oman LNG to build a project to reduce carbon emissions and produce synthetic methanol after completing studies that will last for 10 months, explaining that the project will be held in a factory Oman LNG Company, an Omani-Japanese-Swiss joint venture.
He pointed out that a group of countries are currently moving to use clean energy as part of their plans to reach zero carbon neutrality, indicating that the memorandum signed with Oman LNG represents an opportunity that will bring positive results, whether for Oman in particular or various countries of the world in general.
Source: ONA
