Energy players join forces for e-natural gas consortium

TotalEnergies, Mitsubishi, Sempra and other energy players have come together in a consortium to develop e-natural gas, several of the partners announced on Monday.

E-natural gas, or e-NG, is a carbon-neutral synthetic natural gas produced from renewable hydrogen and CO2. It is sometimes referred to as e-methane.

The consortium – which also includes Engie, Tree Energy Solutions, Osaka Gas, Tokyo Gas and Toho Gas – will partner on the “e-NG Coalition.”

The group aims to foster the sustainable development of e-NG, promote its use, engage support from policymakers and establish collaboration among stakeholders across the e-NG value chain.

Among the benefits of e-NG, the gas can be transported or liquefied, then sold for use in existing natural gas infrastructure. Companies may deploy it as part of strategies to decarbonise.

Tree Energy Solutions is a key developer of e-NG, targeting the provision of 1 million tons per year by 2030.

The company is currently studying the Live Oak e-NG project with TotalEnergies, aiming to produce 100,000-200,000 tons of e-NG per year in the USA by 2030.

“This synthetic fuel will contribute to the energy transition by facilitating the decarbonization of certain industrial activities, particularly those that are difficult to electrify, while making use of existing downstream infrastructures,” TotalEnergies president of gas, renewables and power Stéphane Michel said.

Photo courtesy of Sempra Infrastructure.