Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC – Masdar (Masdar) and INPEX CORPORATION (INPEX) announced that they have signed a collaboration agreement in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on July 17, 2023, to conduct a joint study aimed at realizing the production of synthetic methane (e-methane) using green hydrogen and CO2.

The execution of the agreement was announced during the JAPAN-UAE Business Forum held on July 17, 2023, in Abu Dhabi in the presence of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan and HH Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.

Masdar, the UAE’s flagship renewable energy company, and INPEX, a leading Japanese energy company, will study the entire value chain from the production of hydrogen and procurement of CO2 to the manufacture and transport of e-methane.

The two companies will also evaluate the overall economics of operating a methanation business in Abu Dhabi with a view to export e-methane to Japan, and its commercial feasibility including CO2 reduction effects.

E-methane can be accessed widely through existing city gas infrastructure and does not impose special fuel conversion requirements on consumers. This limits social costs and enables carbon neutralization in fields where electrification is a challenge. E-methane is also expected to be used as fuel for power generation as well as transportation.

Masdar is the UAE’s clean energy champion and has been pioneering renewable energy for over 17 years. As well as investing in utility-scale solar and wind project around the world, Masdar has been exploring green hydrogen since 2008. The company is targeting green hydrogen production of 1 million tonnes per annum by 2030 and has signed and executed several global collaboration agreements with their strategic alliance partners in recent years. Active in over 40 countries, Masdar’s combined renewable energy capacity is over 20GW and its global investment portfolio exceeds US$30 billion.

As outlined in its Long-term Strategy and Medium-term Business Plan (INPEX Vision @2022) announced in February 2022, INPEX positions carbon recycling and the cultivation of new business opportunities as one of the company’s five net zero businesses and will work towards the widespread carbon neutralization of city gas at an early stage. INPEX will also proactively engage in transforming the energy landscape towards the realization of a net-zero society by 2050 while fulfilling its responsibilities for the stable development and supply of energy.

About INPEX

INPEX CORPORATION is Japan’s largest exploration and production (E&P) company, and is currently involved in projects across multiple continents, including the Ichthys LNG Project in Australia as Operator. By thoroughly making its oil and gas business cleaner while expanding its 5 net zero business areas, INPEX aims to provide a stable supply of diverse and clean energy sources including oil, natural gas, hydrogen, and renewables as a pioneer in energy transformation.

About Masdar

Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) is the UAE’s clean energy champion and one of the largest companies of its kind in the world, advancing the development and deployment of renewable energy and green hydrogen technologies to address global sustainability challenges. Established in 2006, Masdar is today active in over 40 countries, helping them to achieve their clean energy objectives and advance sustainable development. Masdar is jointly owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala), and Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), and under this ownership the company is targeting a renewable energy portfolio capacity of at least 100 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 and an annual green hydrogen production capacity of up to 1 million tonnes by the same year.