A conceptual illustration of a specialized tanker for transporting liquefied CO2. (Courtesy of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries)
Carbon capture and storage (CCS), a crucial strategy for combating global warming, has officially begun in Japan. The technology will be used to capture and store CO2 emissions from industries such as steel production and thermal power generation.
The captured CO2 will be injected into deep geological formations beneath nine offshore areas, including the waters off Akita Prefecture. Pilot tests and project planning are underway, with full-scale operations scheduled to begin in fiscal 2030.
In Akita, the plan is to capture and store approximately two million tons of CO2 annually. Efforts to reuse CO2 are also expected to drive industrial growth.
Geological Storage
Hideki Shigematsu, head of the CCS Business Promotion Unit at Itochu Corporation, explained the project during a seminar hosted by Akita Prefecture in late October.
"CO2 will be injected into sandstone layers located more than 800 meters below the seabed," he said. "The seabed itself lies 100 to 400 meters beneath sea level, approximately 20 kilometers offshore from Akita and Yurihonjo City."
Continue reading the full article on Japan 2 Earth (J2E), our affiliated website sparking a transition to a sustainable future by spotlighting the latest environmental innovations from Japan.
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Author: Tomoaki Yatsunami, The Sankei Shimbun
