Energy services provider Expro has secured a contract with INPEX Corporation covering carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) for Japan’s first clean hydrogen production demonstration project, also known as the Kashiwazaki Clean Hydrogen/Ammonia project.
Under the contract, Expro will deliver tubular running services for multiple sections of casing, liner and tubing across 12 months. The work scope covers one production well, one injection well, and one monitoring well.
Expro’s Chief Operating Officer, Alistair Geddes , said: “We are proud to be a part of this demonstration project that aligns with Expro’s and the industry’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions, whilst advancing our Sustainable Energy Solutions. We have supported CCUS globally for over 10 years, gaining invaluable experience in executing operations with excellent results, and continue to believe it is a key industry enabler to support our own and our clients’ net-zero goals.”
The Kashiwazaki Clean Hydrogen/Ammonia project is Japan’s first project to build an integrated hydrogen and ammonia value chain from production to usage.
The engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning (EPCC) contract for the construction of ground facilities was awarded to JGC Corporation. These include natural gas pretreatment, hydrogen production, carbon capture and injection, ammonia storage and offloading, power generation, utility, and facilities connected to the wells in the Hirai field area.
The construction of the surface plant facilities began in 2023 and their commissioning will begin in March 2025, with the completion of construction scheduled for August 2025.
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.
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.