Japan’s gas suppliers to deliver low-carbon city gas

: Natural gas
26/06/26

Japanese gas suppliers Inpex and Tokyo Gas plan to deliver city gas made with carbon-neutral methane to domestic consumers to promote the decarbonisation of the gas sector, the companies said on 25 June.

Inpex and fellow gas utility Osaka Gas have demonstrated manufacturing synthetic methane (e-methane) by using captured CO2 from Inpex's Koshijihara plant in Nagaoka city in the northeastern prefecture of Niigata and hydrogen procured from Japanese gas supplier Iwatani.

Inpex signed an agreement with the city of Nagaoka and gas utility Hokuriku Gas on 25 June to offer a clean gas certificate. With this certificate guaranteeing the decarbonisation impact, Hokuriku Gas will deliver low-carbon city gas made with Inpex and Osaka Gas' e-methane to public facilities in Nagaoka city.

While Inpex is attempting to supply city gas made with e-methane produced within the country, Tokyo Gas plans to deliver city gas generated with imported biomethane. Tokyo Gas will supply the low-carbon city gas to Japanese film manufacturer Fuji Film's Ashigara Work in the eastern prefecture of Kanagawa. Tokyo Gas aims to test the handling and examine the cost of the low-carbon city gas.

Tokyo Gas is considering using biomethane it previously imported from the US through Japanese trading house Mitsui. Tokyo Gas received the biomethane, which was generated from landfill-originated biogas, in March 2024. The company declined to disclose the detailed term of supply but plans to begin shipment within the April 2026-March 2027 fiscal year.

Japanese government and the gas industry have backed implementation of carbon neutral methane, as both e-methane and biomethane can use existing natural gas infrastructure including city gas pipelines. The ministry of economy, trade and industry Meti also expects e-methane to play a key role in hydrogen demand generation.

By Nanami Oki

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26/06/26

Australia court dismisses action against Beetaloo gas

Sydney, 26 June (Argus) — Drilling for appraisal shale gas in the Beetaloo sub-basin in Australia's Northern Territory (NT) can continue after Australia's Federal Court rejected an attempt by environmental campaigners to pause development. The court on 26 June dismissed a case brought by Lock the Gate Alliance, a coalition of anti-fossil fuel activists. Lawyers for the applicant had argued federal government approval was needed for US-listed shale gas developer Tamboran Resources to use hydraulic fracturing or 'fracking', to drill its 40 TJ/d Shenandoah South pilot project in the region. But the applicant failed to establish that Canberra should review the project under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, Justice Nicholas Owens found. The court was not satisfied the development would have a significant impact on a water resource, the hurdle required for it to be federally-assessed. The project has been approved by the NT government which is also effectively underwriting its development with a take-or-pay gas sales agreement inked in 2024 . First gas is planned for July-September . The Beetaloo sub-basin is a remote shale gas region about 500km south-east of NT capital Darwin — home to the 9.3mn t/yr Ichthys and 3.7mn t/yr Darwin LNG (DLNG) terminals. DLNG holds permits for up to 10mn t/yr of exports, with operator domestic independent Santos eyeing Beetaloo flows for a potential expansion of the facility. Santos will drill three Beetaloo appraisal wells from July, which it said would be tested for 9-12 months to determine further development actions . By Tom Major Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

House committee advances data center power bill: Update

26/06/25

House committee advances data center power bill: Update

Updates with statement from Data Center Coalition in the fifth paragraph Houston, 25 June (Argus) — A US House of Representatives subcommittee advanced a bill to make large-load power users such as data centers pay their own way when it comes to powering their projects, an effort to protect regular consumers from higher utility bills. The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy approved the measure by voice vote Wednesday as part of a package of electricity bills, sending it to the full committee for further consideration. The bill would require developers of projects requiring 100MW of power or greater to cover the full cost of new power plants, transmission lines or other grid upgrades needed to serve their facilities. The legislation, HR 9340, known as the Ratepayer Protection Act, was introduced by Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Colorado) and co-sponsored by Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Florida). The bipartisan bill largely mirrors President Donald Trump's ratepayer protection pledge, under which major technology companies, including Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Meta, agreed in March to ensure that the costs of powering new data centers, including grid upgrades, are not passed on to residential consumers. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-New Jersey), the panel's top Democrat, noted the suite of bills — which also included measures to improve load forecasting, speed up generator interconnection, and expand transmission capacity — was a "useful first step", but he said more aggressive action was needed to "ensure that data center developers are held accountable and that consumers aren't left holding the bill." An industry group representing data center developers endorsed the House measure. "We are committed to paying the full cost of the energy we use," Data Center Coalition (DCC) chief executive Josh Levi said in a statement. "DCC supports the approach taken by the Ratepayer Protection Act to achieve this goal and ensure the industry's energy costs are not shouldered by residents and businesses." Manufacturing groups are pressing lawmakers to narrow the bill's scope, warning that its broad definition of "large-load customers" could sweep in energy-intensive industries well beyond data centers. In a letter to the committee, the Industrial Energy Consumers of America urged legislators to instead target "large computational load" users, arguing the current language risks raising costs and creating regulatory uncertainty for manufacturers that compete globally and are not driving recent spikes in electricity demand. The measure now heads to the full Energy and Commerce Committee for consideration, where it could face further amendments before any potential consideration by entire House. By Jasmina Kelemen Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

UK to set in law GHG cuts of 87pc over 1990-2042

26/06/25

UK to set in law GHG cuts of 87pc over 1990-2042

London, 25 June (Argus) — UK parliament has agreed on the country's seventh carbon budget, and will set into law greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions of 87pc by 2042, from a 1990 baseline. The vote, which took place in the evening of 24 June, passed with 332 votes for and 94 against. The UK's Labour government has pursued ambitious decarbonisation policies since it won a landslide victory in July 2024. The government earlier this month set out its proposal for the emissions cuts, in line with recommendations from the parliamentary advisory Climate Change Committee (CCC). Carbon budgets, which are legally-binding in the UK, cap the total GHG emissions that the UK can emit over five-year periods. The seventh carbon budget, which covers 2038-42, will have a limit of 535mn t/CO2 equivalent (CO2e), including the UK's share of international aviation and shipping emissions. This is "consistent with the Paris Agreement" and its most ambitious target to curb the global rise in temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the government said. The CCC welcomed the results of yesterday's vote. It "provides the long-term certainty that businesses, investors, and communities need to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels… this legislation will help unlock innovation, drive clean investment, and strengthen the UK's competitiveness in a low-carbon world", CCC chair Nigel Topping said. The UK is on track to meet its fourth and fifth carbon budgets, which cover 2023-27 and 2028-32, respectively, the CCC said this week in its annual assessment of government progress on climate targets . But the government must accelerate electrification to hit climate goals beyond that, the committee added. The UK met its first three carbon budgets, which covered 2008-2022 collectively, largely through power sector decarbonisation, including shutting coal-fired power generation. The country has a legally-binding target to reach net zero GHG emissions by 2050. By Georgia Gratton Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Australia reservation scheme to shape new gas: Woodside

26/06/25

Australia reservation scheme to shape new gas: Woodside

Sydney, 25 June (Argus) — The design of the federal government's new gas reservation scheme, currently open for public comment, will dictate Australian independent Woodside Energy's decision to drill new domestic wells in the Gippsland basin. Woodside last year identified four development targets that it said could deliver up to 200PJ (5.34bn m³) of sales gas to the market via its Bass strait assets, including the Gippsland basin joint venture (GBJV), for which it will assume operatorship from ExxonMobil this year. But this plan hinges on both technical maturity and Canberra's new gas reservation scheme, chief executive Liz Westcott said on 25 June, warning that the right policy settings and collaboration between industry, government and community was needed to progress new projects. The 50:50 GBJV assets include the 700 TJ/d Longford gas plants, the Long Island Point gas liquids terminal and pipelines linking offshore operations with Victoria state. Woodside will also take over operatorship at the Kipper unit joint venture, which is 32.5pc owned by ExxonMobil, 32.5pc by Woodside, and 35pc by Japan's Mitsui. Scheme start looms The gas reservation programme, slated to begin on 1 July next year, will require LNG exporters to reserve 20pc of shipped volumes for the domestic market only, the government has said. Australia has, however, pledged to respect term supply contracts entered into before this year as part of the national scheme. It remains unclear how this will operate practically, but it is designed to avoid a possible shortfall later this decade due to poor gas planning by state and federal governments. Woodside does not exports gas from its eastern states assets but supplies LNG from its 14.3mn t/yr North West Shelf and 4.9mn t/yr Pluto terminals on the west coast. Western Australia's state government has said it has been assured its 15pc reservation scheme will meet Canberra's stated goals . Consultation on the reservation scheme will close on 30 June , with further development of the programme to take place in July-December. The reservation is causing uncertainty among foreign investors in the nation's LNG sector , while domestic producers are flagging future supply impacts if investment is curtailed . By Tom Major Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Japan's northeast hit by earthquake, energy sites safe

26/06/25

Japan's northeast hit by earthquake, energy sites safe

Tokyo, 25 June (Argus) — A 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Japan today. No major damage to nuclear power plants or thermal power facilities and domestic refineries has been reported so far, according to industry sources contacted by Argus . The earthquake occurred off the coast of Iwate prefecture at 07:30 on 25 June Japan time (22:30 GMT on 24 June), according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The quake registered an upper-6 seismic intensity — the second-highest level on Japan's shindo scale — in Aomori prefecture. There is no risk of a tsunami from the earthquake, the agency said. Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi also said there was no risk of a tsunami. The government would assess the damage and work to respond to the disaster, she added. The earthquake did not affect power generation facilities in the Tohoku area, with no damage reported to nuclear, thermal, hydroelectric, or renewable power plants, Tohoku Electric Power told Argus . Around 4.6GW of coal-fired capacity and 7.9GW of gas-fed capacity were available for operation in Tohoku as of 25 June, according to a power plant operational status notice by the Japan Electric Power Exchange. The 825MW Onagawa No.2 nuclear reactor in Miyagi, close to the earthquake's epicentre off the Iwate coast, continues to operate. No damage was reported at the Rokkasho nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Aomori, which is scheduled to begin operations in the April 2027-March 2028 fiscal year. Two major biomass power plants in Tohoku — the 75MW unit at Ofunato in Iwate and a similar-sized plant at Hachinohe in Aomori — were also unaffected, sources told Argus . In Hokkaido, where the quake registered at 4 on Japan's seismic intensity scale in some areas, there was no damage to power generation facilities, a representative at Hokkaido Electric Power said. No nuclear reactors are currently operating in Hokkaido, with the 2,070MW Tomari nuclear plant remaining safely closed. Japanese refiner Eneos operates the 145,000 b/d Sendai refinery in Miyagi. But the earthquake had no impact on Eneos' facilities including refineries, the company said. By Fumito Nagase, Motoko Hasegawa, Kohei Yamamoto, Takeshi Maeda, Reina Maeda, Nanami Oki Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Japan’s gas suppliers to deliver low-carbon city gas

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Australia court dismisses action against Beetaloo gas

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