Marubeni, Japex, Pertamina to study bioenergy with CCS

Japanese firms Marubeni and Japan Petroleum Exploration (Japex) have partnered Indonesian state-owned energy firm Pertamina to study bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (Beccs) at a pulp mill in south Sumatra, Indonesia.

Beccs is a technology that combines biomass power generation with CCS, and is expected to be an effective option for offsetting CO2 from hard-to-abate industries where complete decarbonisation is challenging, said Japex on 26 August.

The joint study will assess the feasibility of implementing Beccs by capturing CO2 emitted from biomass-fuelled boilers that are used for self-power generation at the pulp mill, according to Japex. The pulp mill is operated by Tanjungenim Lestari Pulp and Paper, a subsidiary of Marubeni.

The captured CO2 will then be injected and stored into synclinal aquifers in the nearby northern Limau oil field, which is operated by the Pertamina group. The parties aim to begin operations by 2030.

Beccs technology is currently progressing from the demonstration stage to pilot commercialisation, and the study could potentially result in a commercial-scale project, which would be a "pioneering initiative in the field," said Japex.

This joint study is part of an agreement signed in February 2022 between Marubeni and Pertamina, to develop decarbonisation projects in Indonesia. Apart from Beccs, the firms also plan to produce biomass fuels and projects to generate carbon credits.

By Joey Chan