Japanese engineering firm Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has signed an initial agreement with US-based electrofuels producer Infinium to explore an electrofuels business in Japan.
The firms will leverage MHI's carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technology to produce electrofuels, while Infinium's catalyser technology will enable production from renewables-based hydrogen and CO2, according to the agreement signed in February.
There is no concrete plan yet but output capacity of electrofuels could be 1,000-2,500 b/d, Mitsubishi said.
The companies anticipate that the project will contribute to Japan's transition towards carbon neutrality — especially for the long-haul track transportation, shipping and aviation sectors — with CO2 emissions expected to be reduced by 97pc compared with conventional fossil fuels. Existing infrastructure can be used to produce the alternative fuel, the companies said.
MHI invested in Infinium, together with US firm Amazon, UK-based AP Ventures and other organisations, in January last year to accelerate its CCUS business, eyeing electrofuels as an alternative option to cut CO2 emissions from sectors that face challenges with electrification.
