<article><p class="lead">Japanese upstream firm Japex and Malaysia's state-owned Petronas are to study the potential for carbon capture and storage (CCS) in Malaysia, as part of their respective countries' efforts towards achieving a carbon neutral society.</p><p>The companies on 27 January signed an agreement on a joint CCS study taking around 20 months, to discuss suitable storage sites in Malaysia for carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted from Petronas' Bintulu LNG complex in Sarawak, as well as that delivered from outside Malaysia. </p><p>The project includes studies on CCS technology, such as storage capacity, CO2 capture and transportation and monitoring methods of CO2 stored underground. The companies will also explore the economic efficiency and legal aspects of projects, looking to future demonstration ventures and commercialisation.</p><p>Japex in May last year drew up a plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, with the focus on CCS and carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) businesses. The company aims to accelerate commercialisation of CCS and <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2227027">CCUS technology</a>, banking on its expertise gained from a large-scale CCS verification project in Hokkaido's Tomakomai. The government-led Tomakomai project in 2019 completed injecting 100,000 t/yr of CO2 underground over a three-year period.</p><p class="bylines">By Maiko Nakashima</p></article>
