Oman LNG signs MoU to reduce carbon emissions and produce synthetic methane

MUSCAT: Oman LNG signed yesterday a memorandum of understanding with the Japanese companies, Hitachi Zosen and Hitachi Innova, related to providing the necessary consultations for the project to reduce carbon emissions and produce synthetic methane.

This step confirms the aspirations of the Oman LNG towards finding the best mechanisms and ways to regulate carbon emissions by developing community partnerships with innovation and sustainability, searching for alternative sources of energy and reducing its carbon footprint.

The two companies are expected to provide the necessary consultations to the Oman LNG to reduce carbon emissions and manufacture synthetic methane.

This memorandum emphasises the pivotal role played by the Sultanate of Oman in providing energy to Japan. This is with the aim of evaluating the technical, economic and environmental feasibility of producing synthetic gas from carbon dioxide and hydrogen emissions, which can then be re-injected back into the operations of the Oman LNG either to produce natural gas, liquefied or consumed as fuel gas.

Eng Salem bin Nasser al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals, explained that the memorandum comes within the zero-neutrality programme and the regulatory framework to reduce carbon emissions, especially in the natural gas liquefaction station, indicating that reducing emissions will give the station room for marketing at more preferential prices and for new markets looking for low-carbon liquefied gas.

Al Aufi said in a statement to Oman News Agency, “The process of capturing carbon and reusing it to produce industrial methane, then re-liquefying it again, then producing liquefied gas and exporting it to markets, to both Europe and Asia that are looking for low-carbon liquefied gas and giving a longer life to the Oman LNG.

Hamed bin Mohammed al Naamany, CEO of the Oman LNG, explained that MoU represents the company’s starting point towards finding environmentally friendly and more sustainable energy solutions, as the Oman LNG shares with the signatory parties the necessity of committing to methane production with the aim of shaping a carbon-free future using modern technologies.

He pointed out that the Oman LNG, along with the Japanese companies Hitachi Zosen and Hitachi Innova, will respond to all the details of the MoU and identify areas of joint research, development and implementation of technologies in line with the strategy of the Oman LNG towards zero neutrality and the national efforts of the Sultanate of Oman to achieve net-zero by 2050.

For his part, Bruno Frederic Baudouin, CEO and member of the Advisory Board of the Japanese company Hitachi Zosen, stressed that this is an opportunity to work together and review the feasibility of this technology, and signing this memorandum is an important step towards achieving this.

He added that this technology can be applied more widely and can contribute to changing societies in terms of its potential to remove carbon dioxide. — ONA

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