INPEX taps JGC and Air Liquide for its clean hydrogen/ammonia project

Japan’s first demonstration project for the production of low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia owned and operated by INPEX Corporation is progressing with new contracts awarded to JGC Corporation and Air Liquide.

Specifically, JGC Corporation has secured a contract with INPEX for the construction of ground facilities in the demonstration Kashiwazaki Clean Hydrogen/Ammonia Project.

The project calls for the engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning (EPCC) of natural gas pretreatment facilities, hydrogen production facilities, carbon capture and injection facilities, ammonia storage and offloading facilities, power generation facilities, utility facilities, and facilities connected to the wells in the Hirai field area.

The facilities will be constructed in the area of the INPEX-owned Higashi-Kashiwazaki gas field in Kashiwazaki City, Niigata prefecture, where an annual hydrogen production volume of 700 tons will be sought, as synthesized from natural gas produced locally by the company.

Some hydrogen will be used as feedstock for ammonia production, with the rest used in power generation. CO2 generated during hydrogen and ammonia production will be injected into a depleted reservoir nearby, applying carbon dioxide capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) techniques.

JGC noted that the lump-sum contract is for an undisclosed amount, with the completion of construction scheduled for August 2025.

The contract will oversee EPCC for the following project facilities: natural gas pretreatment facilities other than ammonia production facilities, hydrogen production facilities, carbon capture and injection facilities, ammonia storage and offloading facilities, power generation facilities, utility facilities, and facilities connected to the wells (observation wells, production wells and CO2 injection wells) in the Hirai field area.

The carbon capture facility will apply high-pressure regenerative CO2 capture technology (HiPACT) developed by JGC Corporation and the German integrated chemical manufacturer BASF SE, while the hydrogen production facility will apply Air Liquide’s hydrogen production technology.

Air Liquide’s Autothermal Reforming (ATR) technology is said to enable the efficient production of large-scale, low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia when combined with carbon capture technology.