Metagas (hydrogen and carbon monoxide) is produced from water and carbon dioxide (CO2) by electrolysis in SOEC electrolysis equipment.

These are then synthesized into methane (gas) through a catalytic reaction. One of the features of this technology is that it does not require the procurement of hydrogen as a raw material. In addition, electrolysis at high temperatures (approximately 700-800°C) reduces the amount of renewable electricity and other energy requirements. Furthermore, since the waste heat from methane synthesis can be effectively utilized, it has the potential to achieve the world's highest energy conversion efficiency of approximately 85-90% compared to conventional methanation (approximately 55-60%), and is expected to significantly reduce the cost of synthetic methane production, of which renewable electricity accounts for a large proportion. In addition, the SOEC electrolyzer is expected to be used not only for methane production, but also for highly efficient production of hydrogen, liquid fuels, chemicals, and other products.

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https://www.osakagas.co.jp/company/press/pr2022/1305922_49634.html

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April 19, 2022

Osaka Gas Co.

(President: Masataka Fujiwara, hereafter "Osaka Gas") announced today that it has signed an agreement with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (President: Kazuhiko Ishimura, hereafter "AIST") for the "Green Innovation Fund Project*1 / Innovative Technology Development for CO2 and Other Fuel Production Project," which was publicly solicited by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (hereafter "NEDO"). The project was adopted＊3 after we proposed the "SOEC＊2 Methane Production Technology Innovation Project (hereafter referred to as the "Project")" for the "Innovative Technology Development for Synthetic Methane Production," one of the R&D items of the "Green Innovation Fund Project＊1 / Fuel Production Technology Development Project Using CO2, etc." solicited by AIST and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). The project is scheduled to run for nine years, from FY2022 to FY2030, and aims to establish a synthetic methane production technology that achieves the world's highest level of energy conversion efficiency*4 by bringing together SOEC methanation technologies.

Conventional methanation is a technology to synthesize methane ("synthetic methane"), the main component of city gas, from hydrogen and carbon dioxide ("CO2"). Synthetic methane can use existing city gas infrastructure and consumption equipment without modification, contributing to the smooth carbon neutralization of city gas and the reduction of CO2 emissions by replacing fossil fuels.

In the SOEC methanation technology that we are working on, water and CO2 are first electrolyzed by SOEC electrolysis equipment using renewable energy sources ("renewable energy") to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Next, methane is synthesized from them through a catalytic reaction. One of the characteristics of this technology is that it does not require the procurement of hydrogen as a raw material. In addition, electrolysis at high temperatures (approximately 700-800°C) reduces the need for renewable electricity and other resources. Furthermore, since the waste heat from methane synthesis can be effectively utilized, it has the potential to achieve the world's highest energy conversion efficiency of approximately 85-90% compared to conventional methanation (approximately 55-60%), and is expected to significantly reduce the cost of synthetic methane production, of which renewable electricity accounts for a large proportion.

In addition, SOEC electrolyzers are expected to be used not only for methane production, but also for highly efficient production of hydrogen, liquid fuels, chemicals, and other products.

In January 2021, we became the first company in Japan to successfully produce a prototype of a metal-supported*5 SOEC, the key to SOEC methanation technology, in a practical size cell.

In this project, MHI, which possesses the metal-supported SOEC technology and gas synthesis catalyst and process technology, will serve as the lead company, in collaboration with AIST, which possesses world-leading advanced fundamental technologies related to SOECs and gas synthesis, to develop the innovative elemental technologies necessary for the establishment of SOEC methanation technology in FY2030. and small-scale tests will be conducted. Toshiba Energy Systems Corporation, which possesses SOEC hydrogen production technology and large-scale electrolysis facility development technology, and universities with world-leading research achievements will also participate in the project to bring together their technological capabilities in SOEC methanation and promote technological innovation.

Innovative technology development elements will include the development of SOEC electrolysis equipment, control technology for gas synthesis reactions, and technology for overall process optimization and effective utilization of waste heat.

In addition, as small-scale tests, we will conduct lab-scale tests (synthetic methane production scale of 0.1 Nm3/h, equivalent to two ordinary households) from FY2022 to FY24, bench-scale tests (10 Nm3/h class, equivalent to about 200 households) from FY25 to FY27, and pilot-scale tests (400 Nm3/h class, equivalent to about 200 households) from FY28 to FY30. The Daigas Group plans to conduct a bench-scale test (10 Nm3/h class, equivalent to about 200 households) from FY2013 to FY2017 and a pilot-scale test (400 Nm3/h class, equivalent to about 10,000 households) from FY2018 to FY2010.

Under the "Carbon Neutral Vision" announced in January 2021, the Daigas Group will continue to develop technologies and services that contribute to a decarbonized society, strive to solve social issues such as climate change, and aim to be a corporate group that helps people's lives and businesses "evolve further. We will continue to develop technologies and services that contribute to a decarbonized society, and strive to solve social issues such as climate change.

1: A 2 trillion yen fund project created to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, aiming for structural transformation of the energy and industrial sectors and a significant acceleration of innovation through bold investment. The fund will be used to support priority areas in the government's "Green Growth Strategy," where the policy effects will be significant and where long-term, continuous support is needed to ensure that the policies will be implemented in society.

2: Abbreviation for Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell, an electrolysis device using solid oxides. It electrolyzes water vapor and CO2 at high temperatures.

3: Click here for NEDO's public information (Click here to go to the webpage (open in a new window)).

4: Ratio of the amount of fuel energy obtained to the amount of electric energy input.

5: A technology suitable for cost reduction and scale-up, which reduces the amount of special ceramics used in conventional SOECs by about 10%.

Outline of Adopted Project

＜Overview of SOEC methanation technology

＜Image of SOEC methanation pilot plant

<Project Schedule

<Business Structure> <Business Structure

Carbon neutralization by methanation

Click here for information on the Daigas Group's technological development.

We are active in a wide range of fields by deepening and expanding the technologies cultivated in our energy business.