Pertamina partners with Japanese firm to study biomethane business

Indonesian state-owned energy supplier Pertamina today signed an agreement with Japanese firms to study the feasibility of a clean natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Indonesia involving the production of biomethane from palm oil mill effluent (POME).

Three Japanese firms — gas utility Osaka Gas, upstream firm Inpex and engineering company JGC — have partnered with Pertamina to jointly study the capture and collection of methane gas emitted from POME at plants in Sumatra and Kalimantan, and to provide it as biomethane to consumers in Java by using existing natural gas pipelines. They are also considering the export of bio-LNG made from liquefied biomethane to Japan, while reviewing the use of bio-LNG as a marine fuel.

The companies plan to complete the feasibility study by November, and develop a timeline for commercialisation during the study. The firms target to produce 100,000 t/yr of biomethane by 2030.

JGC and Pertamina also signed an agreement today to study the feasibility of a joint decarbonisation business involving hydrogen, ammonia, biogas and carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS).

Source: Argus Media