The Tomakomai CCS project involves capturing CO2 from industrial facilities and storing it offshore. Japan Petroleum Exploration (Japex) is responsible for the offshore injection and storage component, planning to receive carbon dioxide from Idemitsu Kosan's Hokkaido refinery and Hokkaido Electric Power's Tomato Atsuma power station.

Current Project Status and Key Requirements

Japex is currently drilling two exploration wells into an offshore reservoir near Hokkaido to test its suitability for CO2 storage. A final investment decision for the project is contingent on meeting several specific requirements. First, the drilling program must confirm the existence of a reservoir with the capacity to store approximately 2 million to 2.5 million tonnes of CO2 annually for about 20 years. Second, it is necessary to establish a viable CO2 value chain based on the storage fee presented by Japex. Finally, the decision will be made in alignment with the investment decisions of the CO2 emitters once all conditions, including the structuring of financing, are met.

Project Planning and Additional Initiatives

In preparation, Japex has previously completed basic engineering design for the pipelines and equipment required for CO2 transport and storage. The company has assessed that deep saline formations in the sea area around Tomakomai could achieve a storage volume of up to 2 million tonnes per annum by 2030. Beyond the Tomakomai project, Japex is also progressing a separate CCS project in the Higashi-Niigata area of Japan.