Mitsui, Shell eye CCS projects in Asia Pacific

Mitsui & Co. and Shell have signed a joint agreement to explore the technical and commercial feasibility of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the Asia Pacific, including Japan, the Japanese firm said on September 8.

This collaboration will also explore the conditions and policies needed to develop CCS, and evaluate options for owning and chartering ships designed to carry liquid carbon dioxide.

"Increasing the global deployment of CCS is one element of Shell's transition to becoming a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050," said Syrie Crouch, vice president of carbon capture and storage at Shell. “This agreement is another step in that journey and supports our ambition of having access to at least 25mn metric tons/year of CCS capacity by 2035."

Yasuchika Maruyama, general manager of sustainable energy development division, energy business unit 1 at Mitsui, said CCS will play an important role in the region to simultaneously achieve continued economic growth and reduced emissions.

“Mitsui is trying to develop approximately 15mn mt/yr of CCS capacity by 2035. By developing CCS opportunities, Mitsui aims to continue contributing to an environmentally sustainable society," Maruyama added.