KUCHING, Jan 28: Petronas has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. Limited (Japex) to collaborate on carbon capture and storage (CCS) opportunities, including suitable carbon dioxide (CO2) storage solutions in Malaysia.
Under the MoU, Petronas and Japex will perform technical maturation activities to unlock potential CCS solutions, including evaluating optimal capture, storage and transportation methods, and estimation of emissions, capture volumes, and monitoring methods of CO2 stored underground.
According to a media release today, Petronas highlighted that this joint study would cover the consideration of methods to capture and transport CO2 from the Petronas LNG Complex in Bintulu and from outside Malaysia as a future possibility.
Signing the MoU on behalf of Petronas was executive vice president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Upstream, Adif Zulkifli. At the same time, Japex was represented by its representative director and executive vice president, Kazuhiko Ozeki.
Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry representative, Takeshi Soda, and Petronas’ Head of CCS Enterprise Unit, Upstream, Nora’in Md Salleh, witnessed the hybrid signing ceremony.
Adif emphasised that Petronas is looking forward to partnering with Japex to position Malaysia as a leading CCS solutions hub in the region.
“This collaboration allows Petronas to leverage Japex’s experience in the Tomakomai CCS Demonstration Project, Japan’s first full-chain CCS project, conducted by Japan CCS Co. Ltd.
“We are confident that it will bring about valuable contributions in the Technical Maturation Study to unlock CCS potential in the country,” he said.
CCS combines existing technologies that capture and store CO2 deep underground so that it is not emitted into the atmosphere.
CO2 is separated from the gases produced by industrial processes such as steel and cement production or from the burning of fossil fuels, transported to locations where it can be stored in geological repositories deep underground, in turn, reducing emissions into the atmosphere.
This is part of Petronas’ deliberate steps to build a resilient and sustainable portfolio that supports the transition towards a lower-carbon future through collaborative efforts with industry partners. — DayakDaily
